The
professional medical advice offered to Government by so many with so much
knowledge in the disparate
disciplines of medical science has - in NZ at least - allowed us all a large
measure of confidence that we will win the war against covid 19. Credit
is due to the judgment exercised by the Prime Minister who sought out, listened
and acted upon sound advice to ensure that life can return to a degree of
normality before too much longer.
There
is a lesson here.
What is clearly
an increasing focus of so many after being in lockdown is the
vital question our leaders need to answer - where to from here? Whether we
realize it or not, WW III is being fought against a common enemy that may well
mutate and remain with us. It is virus vs humanity – as it has always been
throughout history. One way or another, an ongoing international collective
response is vital. Our leaders therefore need to learn to trust one another
least they imperil the lives of so many thousands more. That is going to be
difficult as most have not yet leaned to trust their own populations.
It is obvious that biosecurity, its knowledge and
application is something best shared by all countries -rich and poor as
infection travels 1st class and for free. There surely needs to be
priority given to the development of self- testing kits as the first essential defensive
weapon in this new biological warfare.
Most accept that the world as we knew it has
changed, possibly forever. The economic management of our country, post covid
19 is the new imperative.
Building a
new resilience into our own economy is surely the single most important aspect
and duty of central and local governance. The distraction of the general
election in six months’ time will add little to our essential economic recovery
– so what do we do?
Between the
WW1 years of 1915 and 1919, NZ was governed by a “Grand Coalition”. During that world conflict, a war cabinet was
appointed made up of the best talent in Parliament. Similarly, during the great depression of
1931 to 1935, a cabinet was formed from the most suitable politicians who were
deemed to be the best and most experienced minds available to lead our country.
Fast forward to 2020.
Recent
events highlighted that self-destruction of Cabinet Ministers is ongoing. Health
Minister David Clark remaining (for now) in cabinet shows up the lack of
capacity within the current Government. Dr Clark can only tread water in a knee-deep
pool as public confidence in him erodes. He obviously caught the same virus as Gerry
Brownlee ingested some years ago who also believed the rules don’t apply to him
as he breached airport security. His credibility ended as did (effectively) his
political career.
If ever
there was a time for the PM and the leader of the opposition to put their
country ahead of personal aspirations within politics - it is now.
Most of us would
applaud such selfless action as that of statesmen. This is a particular
condition we in NZ rarely if ever have seen within the context of politics. The
population also recognize that politicians do not possess a singular mortgage
over that rarest of all commodities – wisdom.
Ms Ardern
has undoubtedly shown judgment in her acceptance of advice offered to her by
the wider medical community, but economic recovery cannot be determined by science.
There is
little doubt that former PMs Helen Clark, John Key, Bill English would respond
well to any request for assistance, but it is within the business community
that the answers to recovery lie. Central and Local Government can assist the
private sector to hasten, restore and revive economic wellbeing. Consider the
outstanding performance by private and public enterprise in the coast road
restoration from Christchurch to Kaikoura due to the RMA being suspended. The
role of our authorities is to ensure confidence in our systems and to be fully responsive
to the needs of those who seek to rebuild. Local Government especially has to
be deconstructed. Currently they make their own rules, enforce them and then
sit in judgment on their policies when such policies are challenged by Jo
Citizen - because they don’t work.
Local
Government policies around releasing land for housing over the past decade or
so has been disastrous. The time has come for we the people to reclaim this
country, to trust the people and to reward hard work, thrift and enterprise.
This is not a time for Pollyanna type attitudes nor Green party fantasies. Any takers?
Gerry Eckhoff is a former councillor
on the Otago Regional Council and MP.
3 comments:
Few Labour or Green Politicians have ever had a job or run a business: now they "run the country". They will pick winners, give them a little money, then bask in their glory.
I read that the virus is a failure of "neo liberalism" and "capitalism". Greens want the economy shut down to save the planet. Foreign Minister Winston Peters is a menace as he continues to kick China, the source of much of our wealth.
Now that Jacinda Adern, Helen Clark, Heather Simpson, Michael Cullen etc, have the country at their mercy, good luck getting them to invite talent to advise them.
It isn't often that I disagree with so much that is written in an article in Breaking Views. This is an exception. Eckhoff is way off the mark from the very first paragraph.
He talks about sound advice when we know that the computer model used to provide that advice was grossly distorted. It was a fine example of "garbage in - garbage out". And Commissar Ardern looked no further, diving-in with one of her captain's cock-ups with Draconian lock-down measures totally in excess of what was needed and which anybody with an ounce of business acumen could see would cripple the economy. Sadly, she's rather short on acumen - having done nothing more than serve fush 'n' chups and promote Communism. Far from "ensur[ing] that life can return to a degree of normality before much longer" her actions will have devastating ramifications for years to come.
Yes - "there is a lesson here" all right. Ardern hasn't learned it, and neither have her cohorts or Eckhoff!
"Where to from here"? Eckhoff recommends a "collective" response. Well it was the Chinese "collective" that produced the virus in the first place and suppressed knowledge of it until it had spread far and wide. The WHO "collective" offered nothing more than obvious observations and slogans. The UN "collective" - stony silence. There has been very little cooperation between any nations making a total mockery of "globalisation".
Eckhoff recommends "self-testing kits" - fine for those capable of using them and acting on the results. Testing is, of course, a vital component of the measures to combat the virus. But that has not been a priority for Ardern, indeed tests have been sadly lacking. So, too, have the preventive measures to save care-givers from infection. Ardern lied in her teeth saying they were available - and continued to do so - despite the protests of those who knew best. As a result several of these devoted care-givers caught the virus from those they were looking after.
Eckhoff waxes-on about some "Grand Coalition" of the WWll years - and fast forwards to 2020. He mentions the unholy alliance of incompetents, rightly pointing out the dearth of talent in the beehive reciting a list of passed-their-use-by-dated of has-beens - to no purpose. He imagines that Central and Local government can "assist the private sector". What a fallacy - the best thing they can do is revoke the RMA and then get their buts and butts out of the way and allow the entrepreneurs freer rein to work their magic.
It surprises me not that Eckhoff is a former councillor and MP!
Public who watched the Cover 19 Selective Committee screening uninterrupted for 3-4 hours daily through the enforced lockdown would have seen collective leadership with valuable insight from leading private, public and government persons. There would be much to gain and little negative result for NZ to have more of the same common-sense collaborative communication for our Nation.
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