Kate Hawkesby: We have forgotten the word 'consequences' in this country

 

So predictably, sadly, the huge bushfire in North Canterbury is believed to have been started by two young people letting off fireworks. Why are we not surprised?

130 people were forced to leave their homes in an all-night evacuation. A massive amount of resource was poured into fighting the fire including four helicopters with monsoon buckets, two waterbombing planes, 7 fire crews, 70 firefighters, 12 trucks, 2 bulldozers and 2 diggers.

They worked throughout the night trying to get the blaze, which spanned about 200 hectares, under control.

The fire engulfed 5 and a half kilometres of the coast north of the Waimakariri River. All of that energy, resource and great expense, all because of a couple of kids with fireworks.

Not even letting them off on Guy Fawkes, just randomly letting them off as soon as they’d purchased them. They only went on sale Wednesday.

The rules are you can only light fireworks from your own home, and in calm conditions.

Who’s taking any notice of the laws? Answer – no one. They couldn’t give a crap.

 And why would they? There are no consequences in this country for anything anymore so why fear authority or rules or laws? Even ram raiders get a wraparound hug and a meeting rather than any kind of law enforcement.

Being young means being off the hook.

Kids know it, their mates know it, the parents know it. So why are we surprised when they don’t follow the rules?

One of the youths involved has been referred to Youth Aid. How swamped do you reckon Youth Aid is right now? Will they even get seen in the next month or so?

There’s more youth in trouble than there is aid. And despite all the best efforts of Youth Aid and their valiant attempts at restorative justice and rehabilitation, we have a major problem in this country with disenfranchised youth.

So when I hear Police saying stuff like, oh we identified who started the fire, and one of them is off to Youth Aid, it’s not all that reassuring.

Police also say stuff like, by the way, we ‘encourage anyone intending to light fireworks this season to ensure they do so safely. Don’t light them in windy or dry conditions, or around anything that might catch fire, such as dry grass or leaves.’

Literally they say that in the same breath as whipping off to Youth Aid the clowns who did exactly all of that.  No one’s listening to the rules.

These young people clearly did not give two hoots about the environment or the weather.

Health NZ chimed in that Cantabs should ‘close windows and doors, air out their house, keep pets and their bedding inside with clean water and food.’

So just a massive inconvenience to everyone who wasn’t dumb enough to set fire to a whole coastline yet has to deal with the consequences.

And that’s the nub of all this – consequences. Let the youths who started it feel them.

Let them go round and air out everyone’s house and apologise to everyone and clean up the beach and work alongside the firefighters and say sorry to all those who’re pregnant or with heart or lung conditions.

I despair that we are now just in a cycle of youth trouble equals Youth Aid, and that’s it.

The forgotten word here is – consequences. And let's ban fireworks while we're at it.

Kate Hawkesby is a political broadcaster on Newstalk ZB - her articles can be seen HERE.