What a radical decision did New Zealand take 20 years ago?

Many governments in Europe are grappling with the huge task of reforming their economies, which economists say are burdened with high welfare costs. On the other side of the world, [23]in New Zealand, a radical decision was taken 20 years ago to slash those costs by dismantling the country’s welfare state which had been in existence for half a century. The New Zealand experience has been seen as a test case by other governments wanting to introduce reform.