The manufacturers of RAT tests must be laughing all the way to the bank.
There appears to have been a massive over-ordering and over supply of them in many places around the world.
The ACT party has pointed out that this country has spent something half a billion dollars on these rapid antigen test kits, many of which are about to expire and despite some Ministry of Health virtue signalling nonsense about finding other uses for them and trying to recycle them, they will just be thrown into landfills.
But in Australia there’s a similar story. State governments there spent 2 billion buying enough RATs so that each Australian could have 22 tests!
What imbecile public servant in their right mind would think that any sane person would want to test for COVID 22 times?
That was the nation-wide average. In some states it was even worse. Western Australia, which really was the ultimate hermit kingdom during the madness, ordered enough RATS so that each resident could test for COVID 41 times, while in the People’s Republic of Victoria the number was 32 tests per person.
Our stockpile number is a lot lower than that, which is cold comfort. But it again begs the question - why was the government so insistent on being the only purchaser of these things?
Many a private company wanted to import them for their employees and to share with other companies or to sell on the open market.
But they weren’t allowed to because the government knew best.
Well that’s proved a complete disaster economically and now, it would seem, environmentally.
If the government had been more flexible then the taxpayer could have saved what the ACT Party MP Brooke van Velden estimates is half a billion dollars – or half of the annual budget for Pharmac.
The companies that make these things – which one doctor told me were useless anyway – has just opened another crate of champagne celebrating its windfall from the stupid government purchasing agents in New Zealand and Australia.
Peter Williams was a writer and broadcaster for half a century. Now watching from the sidelines. Peter blogs regularly on Peter’s Substack where this article was sourced.
But in Australia there’s a similar story. State governments there spent 2 billion buying enough RATs so that each Australian could have 22 tests!
What imbecile public servant in their right mind would think that any sane person would want to test for COVID 22 times?
That was the nation-wide average. In some states it was even worse. Western Australia, which really was the ultimate hermit kingdom during the madness, ordered enough RATS so that each resident could test for COVID 41 times, while in the People’s Republic of Victoria the number was 32 tests per person.
Our stockpile number is a lot lower than that, which is cold comfort. But it again begs the question - why was the government so insistent on being the only purchaser of these things?
Many a private company wanted to import them for their employees and to share with other companies or to sell on the open market.
But they weren’t allowed to because the government knew best.
Well that’s proved a complete disaster economically and now, it would seem, environmentally.
If the government had been more flexible then the taxpayer could have saved what the ACT Party MP Brooke van Velden estimates is half a billion dollars – or half of the annual budget for Pharmac.
The companies that make these things – which one doctor told me were useless anyway – has just opened another crate of champagne celebrating its windfall from the stupid government purchasing agents in New Zealand and Australia.
Peter Williams was a writer and broadcaster for half a century. Now watching from the sidelines. Peter blogs regularly on Peter’s Substack where this article was sourced.
4 comments:
Tax payer money Peter so they couldn't give a shit. They all have or will get knighthoods/damehoods, life long pensions and perks plus Sir Ashley will become a Saint; enough to make you cry into your cornflakes, if you can afford them. Kiwialan.
Kiwialan your flippant analysis of a lost half billion taxpayer funds from the out of date RATS tests is unacceptable. I ask you to focus on the individual hope and relief from anxiety and lives saved ( Not Lost and buried) if Pharmac were able to distribute health care with these funds. It is an appalling indictment of what we have to consider when voting this election . All kudos to ACT MP Brooke Van Velden and team for alerting the public .
It is easy to get through 22 RAT tests if you work in a job where every sniff and cough requires you to take a test or stand down. It is senseless, but for many a requirement of employment.
Basil, the RATS money is nothing compared to the billions thrown at Maori. You use the word flippant, I prefer humour as I would rather laugh than cry. Facing reality doesn't have to be grim. Kiwialan.
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