Thursday 20 August 2020

 

During difficult political times in the 1960s former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson observed ruefully that “a week is a long time in politics”.  Our Prime Minister could be forgiven for thinking similar thoughts at the moment, as she reflects upon recent events in New Zealand.

Barely a week ago, New Zealand was basking in the perceived glories of having no recorded cases of community transmission of Covid19 for over 100 days; a border control and quarantine system that was picking up and testing everyone coming into the country to ensure they were Covid19 free before being allowed to join the general population; a Parliamentary Opposition that seemed all at sea having just undergone its third change of leader since May; and a government seemingly cruising sedately towards re-election by a large margin in an election due in just over five weeks.

Across the country normal pre-Covid19 life had pretty much resumed. Major sports events were up and running with large crowds mixing and mingling closely together as they enjoyed the spectacle. Business was getting back to normal with domestic tourism and the hospitality sector reporting encouraging responses from New Zealanders, almost but not quite making up for the loss of international visitors, and there was increasing talk of travel to the Pacific being possible within just a few months.

Overall, New Zealanders were feeling positive that we had dodged a proverbial bullet. Mocking comparisons were being made to the plight of other countries still struggling with the worst of Covid19, and we thanked ourselves and our government that we were not like Victoria, and that we had followed the “go hard, go early” slogan to become Covid19 free, even though in reality we had done neither.

The discovery of community transmission in Auckland not only rocked the smug complacency coming from the top down and affecting all of us, but also raised blunt, difficult questions that drew uncomfortable answers about how well the “team of five million” had actually been doing. It turns out the border control programme was not watertight after all, with personnel associated with the new arrivals not being tested at all, even though they were being potentially exposed on a daily basis to the virus. And the level of community testing was nothing like the government had led us to believe.

We still do not know how this new outbreak was initiated, bringing into question whether we were ever Covid19 free in the first place, let alone for the 102-day period the government was so proud of. Now, Auckland is back in Level 3 lockdown; major sports and cultural events have been cancelled; regional travel restrictions have returned; businesses and schools are closed once more, and the uncertainty we hoped was behind us has returned. The government has even been forced to defer the election for at least four weeks.

The triumphal march to glory that the election campaign was supposed to be for the government has abruptly stopped; the Opposition has a new spring in its step, although there is still a mighty lot of ground for it to make up to become competitive. For the first time, a hitherto sympathetic media has started asking hard questions about the now obvious policy and administrative failures, and the Prime Minister and her key Ministers are looking a little rattled.

The change in the country’s Covid19 fortunes has been unexpected and abrupt. The impact of that on public opinion is, however, a little more difficult to judge. While public confidence has undoubtedly been shaken over the last week, and compliance with the new rules appears less immediate and thorough than during the earlier lockdowns, it is not yet clear whether people will blame the government for what has happened, or whether they will accept the apparent return of Covid19 as something that was bound to happen, despite the Prime Minister’s earlier boast that we had “eliminated” the virus.

While the election remains strongly Labour’s to lose, whether it turns into something close to a photo-finish, or remains considerably more sedate, will depend on what happens next, and just as importantly, how that is managed.  So far, the government has relied on the powerful media images of the Prime Minister and Ministers Hipkins and Woods, aided and abetted by the ubiquitous Dr Bloomfield, to present an image of calm reassurance and confidence that all was under control. This week’s revelations of process and policy failures dent that somewhat, and the question will now be whether the media, in particular and the public by extension, will be as willing to accept uncritically that smooth talk in the future.

If “a week is a long time in politics”, nearly nine weeks until the election is an eternity. For Labour, it will be a daily grind of watching and checking everything and keeping its fingers crossed like never before, while employing its spin tactics as comprehensively as ever, but with perhaps more acknowledgement of fallibility. For National, there will be the scent of hope of more things going wrong for it make capital from, and the possibility that translates into an increase in its political support. For the voter, it is all likely to be extremely tedious, having to put up with all the new claims and counterclaims, while confronting the daily reality of still doing all we can to remain Covid19 free.

If there is a silver lining to this dark and obstinate cloud, it might just be that for whatever varying reason our collective complacency is now at an end.  The hope has to be that there is a now renewed vigilance about dealing with Covid19 but making sure we get all the details of the response right this time.

9 comments:

  1. I want to thank Dr Emu a very powerful spell caster who help me to bring my husband back to me, few month ago i have a serious problem with my husband, to the extend that he left the house, and he started dating another woman and he stayed with the woman, i tried all i can to bring him back, but all my effort was useless until the day my friend came to my house and i told her every thing that had happened between me and my husband, then she told me of a powerful spell caster who help her when she was in the same problem I then contact Dr Emu and told him every thing and he told me not to worry my self again that my husband will come back to me after he has cast a spell on him, i thought it was a joke, after he had finish casting the spell, he told me that he had just finish casting the spell, to my greatest surprise within 48 hours, my husband really came back begging me to forgive him, if you need his help you can contact him with via email: Emutemple@gmail.com or add him up on his whatsapp +2347012841542 is willing to help any body that need his help. 

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  2. I'm so excited my husband is back after a break up..When my husband broke up with me i was so frustrated and i could not know what next to do again, i love my husband so much but he was cheating on me with another woman and this makes him broke up with me so that he can be able to get marry to the other lady and this lady i think use witchcraft on my husband to make him hate me and my kids and this was so critical and uncalled-for,I cry all day and night for God to send me a helper to get back my man until i went to NY to see a friend and who was having the same problem with me but she latter got her Husband back and i asked her how she was able to get her husband back and she told me that their was a powerful spell caster in Africa name Dr.Unity that he help with love spell in getting back lost lover back, and i decided to contacted the same Dr.Unity and he told me what is needed to be done for me to have my man back and i did it although i doubted it but i did it and the Dr told me that i will get the result after 21hours, and he told me that my husband was going to call me by 9pm in my time and i still doubted his word, to my surprise my husband really called me and told me that he miss me so much, OMG! i was so happy, and today i am happy with my man again and we are joyfully living together as one good family and i thank the powerful spell caster Dr.Unity of allmightbazulartemple@gmail.com he is so powerful and i decided to share my story on the internet that good spell casters still exist and Dr.Unity is one of the good spell caster who i will always pray to live long to help his children in the time of trouble, if you are there and your lover is turning you down, or you have your husband moved to another woman, do not cry anymore, contact this powerful spell caster Dr.Unity on his email: allmightbazulartemple@gmail.com,you can also call or Add him on Whats-app: +2347051758952 ,His Website: http://allmightbazulartemple@gmai.wixt.com . Vicky Jarvis, California,USA.

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  3. I TESTED POSITIVE TO HIV SINCE 2018

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  4. HERPES INFECTION CURE IS 100% AVAILABLE WITH THE HELP OF DR OGBERAESE HERBAL MEDICINE.Joy and happiness is all i can see around ever since i came in contact with this great man Called Dr Ogberaese. i complained bitterly to him about me having herpes only for him to tell me it’s a minor stuff. He told me he has cured thousands of people but i did not believe until he sent me the herbal medicine and i took it as instructed by this great man, only to go to the hospital after two weeks for another test and i was confirmed negative. For the first time in four years i was getting that result. i want to use this medium to thank this great man. His name is Dr Ogberaese , i came in with his email through a friend in USA called Edith Rose and ever since then my live has been full with laughter and great peace of mind. i urge you all with herpes or HSV1&2 to contact him if you are willing to give him a chance. you can contact him through his email drogberaese54@gmail.com or you can also WhatsApp him +2348073818653

    ReplyDelete
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