Ian McLean Green Scene Spokesperson for the Green Party

We had the extraordinary, the astonishing, and the obscene, all in the same summer break. If one woman can give her all for the minimum wage of $14 an hour, which she then gave away; and if one of our best-known conservatives can see the value in spreading wealth more equally, then there truly is hope for the impossible to become possible in 2014.

Two extraordinary women did the same impossible thing before Christmas. One ran 500km without sleep and broke a world record. The other ran 500km in six days, including up Mauao, through the Redwoods, around the Hamilton River trails, and along Mount Maunganui and Papamoa beach.

The latter hoped to make $1000 for her favourite cause. While pushing herself beyond any reasonable limit, she aimed to earn the minimum wage, $14 per hour, for somebody else.

With two people doing this in the same week, an extraordinary thing becomes almost ordinary. That is exactly the kind of miracle the world needs.

Something else extraordinary happened on January 4. Columnist Garth George, scion of conservative political views, came out in favour of addressing child poverty by reducing the income gap.

That is not a stunning insight, but it is astonishing from one who normally promotes individual success as sacrosanct.

On the same day, the Herald reported the richest 300 people in the world made an extra $638 billion in 2013. That is more than $2 billion extra for each, over and above the billions they were already making. Yes, 'grossly obscene” describes it fairly well.

Contact: Ian G. McLean, 021 547556, 07 5794670, ian.mclean@greens.org.nz