Coronavirus - New Zealand
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@voodoo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
And yet, L1 is a month away....
It all started from one person. We have to make sure that one person isn’t waiting to surprise us.
To be honest I’m not noticing a hell of a lot of difference to normal at the moment apart from closed borders and less flight options. -
@Crucial said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@voodoo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
And yet, L1 is a month away....
It all started from one person. We have to make sure that one person isn’t waiting to surprise us.
To be honest I’m not noticing a hell of a lot of difference to normal at the moment apart from closed borders and less flight options.@Crucial Do you mean that your normal routine isn't impacted, or that it feels like 'business as usual' when you're out and about?
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@Crucial said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@voodoo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
And yet, L1 is a month away....
It all started from one person. We have to make sure that one person isn’t waiting to surprise us.
To be honest I’m not noticing a hell of a lot of difference to normal at the moment apart from closed borders and less flight options.You may not have. But I've driven 1000kms in L2 conditions over the last 10 days, and I've seen:
- multiple cafes, bars, restaurants closed as it's apparently too hard to comply
- multiple tourist attractions closed - Waitomo Caves, Otorohanga Kiwi park, Rotorua zip-lining, Waiotapu pools for example
- cinemas closed, including all 3 Event Cinemas in Mount Mounganui (leaving zero alternative)
And you couldn't catch this thing if you tried
BUT - that's not even my point. I'm fine with continued distancing guidelines, whatever makes us feel safer. I just HATE this single rule for all. Why 10, why 100? Why not allow massive venues to take some responsibility, even if you impose massive penalties for non-compliance? Who says a funeral parlour that holds 500 normally cant hold 250 now? Why camt a stadium that typically holds 30,000, host a game with 5,000?
And most of all, why are we waiting a month for our masters to revisit these rules? Given their direct impact on the economy, why aren't they being assessed every couple of days?
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@pakman said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Crucial said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@voodoo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
And yet, L1 is a month away....
It all started from one person. We have to make sure that one person isn’t waiting to surprise us.
To be honest I’m not noticing a hell of a lot of difference to normal at the moment apart from closed borders and less flight options.@Crucial Do you mean that your normal routine isn't impacted, or that it feels like 'business as usual' when you're out and about?
Feels like business as usual. Sure there are changes at shops and I’m not trying to go to pubs or cinemas. But I also don’t feel that constrained.
I appreciate that others might though and some businesses still find it too difficult to operate. -
@voodoo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Crucial said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@voodoo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
And yet, L1 is a month away....
It all started from one person. We have to make sure that one person isn’t waiting to surprise us.
To be honest I’m not noticing a hell of a lot of difference to normal at the moment apart from closed borders and less flight options.You may not have. But I've driven 1000kms in L2 conditions over the last 10 days, and I've seen:
- multiple cafes, bars, restaurants closed as it's apparently too hard to comply
- multiple tourist attractions closed - Waitomo Caves, Otorohanga Kiwi park, Rotorua zip-lining, Waiotapu pools for example
- cinemas closed, including all 3 Event Cinemas in Mount Mounganui (leaving zero alternative)
And you couldn't catch this thing if you tried
BUT - that's not even my point. I'm fine with continued distancing guidelines, whatever makes us feel safer. I just HATE this single rule for all. Why 10, why 100? Why not allow massive venues to take some responsibility, even if you impose massive penalties for non-compliance? Who says a funeral parlour that holds 500 normally cant hold 250 now? Why camt a stadium that typically holds 30,000, host a game with 5,000?
And most of all, why are we waiting a month for our masters to revisit these rules? Given their direct impact on the economy, why aren't they being assessed every couple of days?
Aren’t they deliberately letting two full potential infection cycles play out?
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@Crucial said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@voodoo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Crucial said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@voodoo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
And yet, L1 is a month away....
It all started from one person. We have to make sure that one person isn’t waiting to surprise us.
To be honest I’m not noticing a hell of a lot of difference to normal at the moment apart from closed borders and less flight options.You may not have. But I've driven 1000kms in L2 conditions over the last 10 days, and I've seen:
- multiple cafes, bars, restaurants closed as it's apparently too hard to comply
- multiple tourist attractions closed - Waitomo Caves, Otorohanga Kiwi park, Rotorua zip-lining, Waiotapu pools for example
- cinemas closed, including all 3 Event Cinemas in Mount Mounganui (leaving zero alternative)
And you couldn't catch this thing if you tried
BUT - that's not even my point. I'm fine with continued distancing guidelines, whatever makes us feel safer. I just HATE this single rule for all. Why 10, why 100? Why not allow massive venues to take some responsibility, even if you impose massive penalties for non-compliance? Who says a funeral parlour that holds 500 normally cant hold 250 now? Why camt a stadium that typically holds 30,000, host a game with 5,000?
And most of all, why are we waiting a month for our masters to revisit these rules? Given their direct impact on the economy, why aren't they being assessed every couple of days?
Aren’t they deliberately letting two full potential infection cycles play out?
Who knows? But even if they are, that doesn't answer any of my questions. 2 x infection cycles from some invented starting point really doesn't add any scientific chop here. They should be constantly evaluating, adjusting, expanding. And ideally, but perhaps impossibly, forcing businesses that can and should be operating under L2 conditions, to actually open.
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@voodoo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Crucial said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@voodoo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Crucial said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@voodoo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
And yet, L1 is a month away....
It all started from one person. We have to make sure that one person isn’t waiting to surprise us.
To be honest I’m not noticing a hell of a lot of difference to normal at the moment apart from closed borders and less flight options.You may not have. But I've driven 1000kms in L2 conditions over the last 10 days, and I've seen:
- multiple cafes, bars, restaurants closed as it's apparently too hard to comply
- multiple tourist attractions closed - Waitomo Caves, Otorohanga Kiwi park, Rotorua zip-lining, Waiotapu pools for example
- cinemas closed, including all 3 Event Cinemas in Mount Mounganui (leaving zero alternative)
And you couldn't catch this thing if you tried
BUT - that's not even my point. I'm fine with continued distancing guidelines, whatever makes us feel safer. I just HATE this single rule for all. Why 10, why 100? Why not allow massive venues to take some responsibility, even if you impose massive penalties for non-compliance? Who says a funeral parlour that holds 500 normally cant hold 250 now? Why camt a stadium that typically holds 30,000, host a game with 5,000?
And most of all, why are we waiting a month for our masters to revisit these rules? Given their direct impact on the economy, why aren't they being assessed every couple of days?
Aren’t they deliberately letting two full potential infection cycles play out?
Who knows? But even if they are, that doesn't answer any of my questions. 2 x infection cycles from some invented starting point really doesn't add any scientific chop here. They should be constantly evaluating, adjusting, expanding. And ideally, but perhaps impossibly, forcing businesses that can and should be operating under L2 conditions, to actually open.
Forcing businesses to open?
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@Crucial said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@pakman said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Crucial said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@voodoo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
And yet, L1 is a month away....
It all started from one person. We have to make sure that one person isn’t waiting to surprise us.
To be honest I’m not noticing a hell of a lot of difference to normal at the moment apart from closed borders and less flight options.@Crucial Do you mean that your normal routine isn't impacted, or that it feels like 'business as usual' when you're out and about?
Feels like business as usual. Sure there are changes at shops and I’m not trying to go to pubs or cinemas. But I also don’t feel that constrained.
I appreciate that others might though and some businesses still find it too difficult to operate.Said to some mates, on Zoom the other day, that being served at tables at pubs and being able to hear people speak at bars and restaurants actually seems an improvement to me. Then we all realised how old we were sounding!
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@voodoo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Crucial said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@voodoo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
And yet, L1 is a month away....
It all started from one person. We have to make sure that one person isn’t waiting to surprise us.
To be honest I’m not noticing a hell of a lot of difference to normal at the moment apart from closed borders and less flight options.You may not have. But I've driven 1000kms in L2 conditions over the last 10 days, and I've seen:
- multiple cafes, bars, restaurants closed as it's apparently too hard to comply
- multiple tourist attractions closed - Waitomo Caves, Otorohanga Kiwi park, Rotorua zip-lining, Waiotapu pools for example
- cinemas closed, including all 3 Event Cinemas in Mount Mounganui (leaving zero alternative)
And you couldn't catch this thing if you tried
BUT - that's not even my point. I'm fine with continued distancing guidelines, whatever makes us feel safer. I just HATE this single rule for all. Why 10, why 100? Why not allow massive venues to take some responsibility, even if you impose massive penalties for non-compliance? Who says a funeral parlour that holds 500 normally cant hold 250 now? Why camt a stadium that typically holds 30,000, host a game with 5,000?
Maybe to avoid a Dominic Cummings conundrum?
And most of all, why are we waiting a month for our masters to revisit these rules? Given their direct impact on the economy, why aren't they being assessed every couple of days?
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@Crucial said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@voodoo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Crucial said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@voodoo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Crucial said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@voodoo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
And yet, L1 is a month away....
It all started from one person. We have to make sure that one person isn’t waiting to surprise us.
To be honest I’m not noticing a hell of a lot of difference to normal at the moment apart from closed borders and less flight options.You may not have. But I've driven 1000kms in L2 conditions over the last 10 days, and I've seen:
- multiple cafes, bars, restaurants closed as it's apparently too hard to comply
- multiple tourist attractions closed - Waitomo Caves, Otorohanga Kiwi park, Rotorua zip-lining, Waiotapu pools for example
- cinemas closed, including all 3 Event Cinemas in Mount Mounganui (leaving zero alternative)
And you couldn't catch this thing if you tried
BUT - that's not even my point. I'm fine with continued distancing guidelines, whatever makes us feel safer. I just HATE this single rule for all. Why 10, why 100? Why not allow massive venues to take some responsibility, even if you impose massive penalties for non-compliance? Who says a funeral parlour that holds 500 normally cant hold 250 now? Why camt a stadium that typically holds 30,000, host a game with 5,000?
And most of all, why are we waiting a month for our masters to revisit these rules? Given their direct impact on the economy, why aren't they being assessed every couple of days?
Aren’t they deliberately letting two full potential infection cycles play out?
Who knows? But even if they are, that doesn't answer any of my questions. 2 x infection cycles from some invented starting point really doesn't add any scientific chop here. They should be constantly evaluating, adjusting, expanding. And ideally, but perhaps impossibly, forcing businesses that can and should be operating under L2 conditions, to actually open.
Forcing businesses to open?
Yeah, it's a strong push, I totally see the other perspective - but the flipside, is why should they get the wage subsidy if they've made no attempt to open?
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@pakman said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@voodoo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Crucial said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@voodoo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
And yet, L1 is a month away....
It all started from one person. We have to make sure that one person isn’t waiting to surprise us.
To be honest I’m not noticing a hell of a lot of difference to normal at the moment apart from closed borders and less flight options.You may not have. But I've driven 1000kms in L2 conditions over the last 10 days, and I've seen:
- multiple cafes, bars, restaurants closed as it's apparently too hard to comply
- multiple tourist attractions closed - Waitomo Caves, Otorohanga Kiwi park, Rotorua zip-lining, Waiotapu pools for example
- cinemas closed, including all 3 Event Cinemas in Mount Mounganui (leaving zero alternative)
And you couldn't catch this thing if you tried
BUT - that's not even my point. I'm fine with continued distancing guidelines, whatever makes us feel safer. I just HATE this single rule for all. Why 10, why 100? Why not allow massive venues to take some responsibility, even if you impose massive penalties for non-compliance? Who says a funeral parlour that holds 500 normally cant hold 250 now? Why camt a stadium that typically holds 30,000, host a game with 5,000?
Maybe to avoid a Dominic Cummings conundrum?
And most of all, why are we waiting a month for our masters to revisit these rules? Given their direct impact on the economy, why aren't they being assessed every couple of days?
How do our rules prevent a Dominic Cummings event?
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@voodoo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@pakman said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@voodoo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Crucial said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@voodoo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
And yet, L1 is a month away....
It all started from one person. We have to make sure that one person isn’t waiting to surprise us.
To be honest I’m not noticing a hell of a lot of difference to normal at the moment apart from closed borders and less flight options.You may not have. But I've driven 1000kms in L2 conditions over the last 10 days, and I've seen:
- multiple cafes, bars, restaurants closed as it's apparently too hard to comply
- multiple tourist attractions closed - Waitomo Caves, Otorohanga Kiwi park, Rotorua zip-lining, Waiotapu pools for example
- cinemas closed, including all 3 Event Cinemas in Mount Mounganui (leaving zero alternative)
And you couldn't catch this thing if you tried
BUT - that's not even my point. I'm fine with continued distancing guidelines, whatever makes us feel safer. I just HATE this single rule for all. Why 10, why 100? Why not allow massive venues to take some responsibility, even if you impose massive penalties for non-compliance? Who says a funeral parlour that holds 500 normally cant hold 250 now? Why camt a stadium that typically holds 30,000, host a game with 5,000?
Maybe to avoid a Dominic Cummings conundrum?
And most of all, why are we waiting a month for our masters to revisit these rules? Given their direct impact on the economy, why aren't they being assessed every couple of days?
How do our rules prevent a Dominic Cummings event?
Slightly facetious, but just that if rules are arbitrary, there's little risk of someone doing something within them, but contrary to general understanding.
So 100 is just 100.
I agree with your point, though.
If people's judgement could be relied on, could leave it to them to enforce social distancing, and maybe have a guideline to effect that in general operating at greater than 20%, say, of capacity is unlikely to be reasonable outcome.
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@voodoo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@pakman said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@voodoo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Crucial said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@voodoo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
And yet, L1 is a month away....
It all started from one person. We have to make sure that one person isn’t waiting to surprise us.
To be honest I’m not noticing a hell of a lot of difference to normal at the moment apart from closed borders and less flight options.You may not have. But I've driven 1000kms in L2 conditions over the last 10 days, and I've seen:
- multiple cafes, bars, restaurants closed as it's apparently too hard to comply
- multiple tourist attractions closed - Waitomo Caves, Otorohanga Kiwi park, Rotorua zip-lining, Waiotapu pools for example
- cinemas closed, including all 3 Event Cinemas in Mount Mounganui (leaving zero alternative)
And you couldn't catch this thing if you tried
BUT - that's not even my point. I'm fine with continued distancing guidelines, whatever makes us feel safer. I just HATE this single rule for all. Why 10, why 100? Why not allow massive venues to take some responsibility, even if you impose massive penalties for non-compliance? Who says a funeral parlour that holds 500 normally cant hold 250 now? Why camt a stadium that typically holds 30,000, host a game with 5,000?
Maybe to avoid a Dominic Cummings conundrum?
And most of all, why are we waiting a month for our masters to revisit these rules? Given their direct impact on the economy, why aren't they being assessed every couple of days?
How do our rules prevent a Dominic Cummings event?
The closest we had was the David Clark event. He hasn't been seen in public since, and I suppose the PM will decide if he will survive as a Minister into the next election. At least he appeared contrite at the time.
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@Crucial said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@pakman said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Crucial said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@voodoo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
And yet, L1 is a month away....
It all started from one person. We have to make sure that one person isn’t waiting to surprise us.
To be honest I’m not noticing a hell of a lot of difference to normal at the moment apart from closed borders and less flight options.@Crucial Do you mean that your normal routine isn't impacted, or that it feels like 'business as usual' when you're out and about?
Feels like business as usual. Sure there are changes at shops and I’m not trying to go to pubs or cinemas. But I also don’t feel that constrained.
I appreciate that others might though and some businesses still find it too difficult to operate.Is it still 1000 people a day joining the dole? How many redundancies are we up to? How many businesses have gone under? What’s the unemployment rate now? (Have seen massive increases here for other countries)
We had that one publicised suicide from a business going under, is that rate increasing compared to last year?
How many people have lost there homes as their businesses fail or they have lost their jobs?
While I’m glad you and I seem not to be greatly effected, I’m trying not to have my head in the ground about the pain this is causing others. It’s not business as usual.
And it would be nice to see some analysis of the above from the government’s cheerleaders (the media). If anybody has answers to the above please post here.
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Latest employment analysis I've seen is here: https://www.benjepatterson.co.nz/where-has-employment-suffered-most/ employment data in NZ lags notoriously, but benefit data is the best we can get between the quarterly data (i.e. not everyone who loses their job is either eligible for a benefit, or chooses to apply for one initially)
The (provisional) suicide rate was lower than usual during lockdown, though sadly that may change from Level 2 onwards if past 'disasters' are a guide. https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/05/coronavirus-suicide-rate-was-lower-during-lockdown-than-before-it-provisional-figures-show.html
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@nzzp said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@canefan said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
At least he appeared contrite at the time.
Well, eventually
Doesn't mean to say he was contrite. But you have to front the media and act like it
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@Kirwan said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Crucial said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@pakman said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Crucial said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@voodoo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
And yet, L1 is a month away....
It all started from one person. We have to make sure that one person isn’t waiting to surprise us.
To be honest I’m not noticing a hell of a lot of difference to normal at the moment apart from closed borders and less flight options.@Crucial Do you mean that your normal routine isn't impacted, or that it feels like 'business as usual' when you're out and about?
Feels like business as usual. Sure there are changes at shops and I’m not trying to go to pubs or cinemas. But I also don’t feel that constrained.
I appreciate that others might though and some businesses still find it too difficult to operate.Is it still 1000 people a day joining the dole? How many redundancies are we up to? How many businesses have gone under? What’s the unemployment rate now? (Have seen massive increases here for other countries)
We had that one publicised suicide from a business going under, is that rate increasing compared to last year?
How many people have lost there homes as their businesses fail or they have lost their jobs?
While I’m glad you and I seem not to be greatly effected, I’m trying not to have my head in the ground about the pain this is causing others. It’s not business as usual.
And it would be nice to see some analysis of the above from the government’s cheerleaders (the media). If anybody has answers to the above please post here.
Wooah!
My comment was an observation based on the small amount I am experiencing personally. I am fully aware that people are suffering and certainly don't have my head in the sand.
The comment was about the 'openness' of the country at the moment and how it is fairly close to normal for everyday life (excluding tourism, group activities etc)
Changing group sizes and numbers allowed into shops isn't going to solve the major problems. A trans-taxman bubble would help in a few areas but not widespread. Those tourism based businesses will be concentrating on getting cashflow not buying new equipment or upgrading a building.
This is going to be a slow haul back for many but it will happen. A rush that could send us backwards would be the worst decision made in a long time.
I get the frustration with the high level of risk aversion but we really are at a crossroads where one path gives confidence to rebuild and give people jobs, the other will have everyone (including businesses) holding back a bit just in case things turn back. -
Flightless Kiwi economy to land with a thud
No national leader has been as feted as Jacinda Ardern during this pandemic. But while she might have popular support, the facts are she is pushing the NZ economy off a cliff.By ADAM CREIGHTON
No national leader has been as feted as Jacinda Ardern during this pandemic. Young and progressive, New Zealand’s Prime Minister was popular before the crisis. Since she imposed the favoured pandemic solution of the left — a hard lockdown, shutting practically all business and no socialising with anyone outside your home — her star has only risen.
“Laughing in the face of seismic shakes, she has calmly steered her country in the face of a massacre, an eruption and a pandemic,” The Guardian cooed on Tuesday. Steering it into an economic abyss, perhaps.
New Zealand’s economy is in strife. Without major change, our constitutional cousin is in decline. Its public finances are in tatters, its biggest export, tourism, has been obliterated — Air New Zealand announced 4000 job losses this week — and New Zealand police now can enter people’s homes without a warrant.
“New Zealand is going backwards, falling behind the vast majority of our OECD partners in virtually every social and economic measure that matters,” said Roger Douglas, a former New Zealand Labour treasurer and the famed architect of Rogernomics.
New Zealand ranks fourth last in the OECD for labour productivity growth, and last for multi-factor productivity growth, according to economist Michael Reddell, based on OECD data. Health and education are gobbling up more of the budget as the population ages, with less and less to show for it.
The country’s Massey University reckons economic activity will tank 16 per cent in the second quarter, while government forecasts pencil in a 4.6 per cent decline this year ahead of an 8.2 per cent rebound in 2022.
“I doubt the economy will bounce back as the government hopes; and the Treasury forecasts, as bad as they are, will prove optimistic,” former NZ Treasury secretary Graham Scott said.
In one year, New Zealand has blown 30 years of hard-fought fiscal rectitude. Its public debt will explode from the equivalent of 19 per cent of gross domestic product last year to 54 per cent by 2022, on the government’s own figures.
Scott said expanding the deficit, expected to blow out to 10 per cent this year, was the right thing to do. “But looking further out, comparisons with other countries, such as the US and UK, are no basis to justify our large debt ratios; we’re a small, open economy with vulnerable export industries,” he said, noting the share of exports in GDP had been falling steadily for nine years.
That makes Labour’s ban on oil and gas exploration all the more bizarre. With 0.3 per cent of global GDP, New Zealand can only shoot itself in the foot by shunning fossil fuels. The Prime Minister and Finance Minister, who have not worked in the private sector, spruik the totems of modern left governments — renewable energy, trees, higher tax, equality — but without much to show for it. Plans for a billion trees and 100,000 houses have come close to almost naught, and a capital-gains tax was dumped. Labour made a song and dance about reducing child poverty too, but on six out of nine measures tracked by Statistics New Zealand it is unchanged or worse since 2017, including the share of children living in “material hardship”, which has risen to 13.4 per cent.
It’s hard to see how shifting to a four-day working week, the Prime Minister’s latest reform idea, will fix the country’s problems.
Jacinda Ardern floats the idea of a four day working week
Sky News contributor Nicholas Reece says New Zealand "has long been the social laboratory for progressive reform" as prime minister Jacinda Arder...“The real problem with the Ardern government is they have no idea whatsoever apart from how to throw money at things,” Douglas told The Australian. The targeted “investment” approach to welfare pioneered when previous prime minister Bill English was treasurer has been junked in favour of open slather. “Our $12bn wage subsidy, for instance; about a third was a donation to people who don’t need it,” he said, explaining how well-off lawyers and accountants had obtained the payments.
New Zealand’s international investment position was negative $171bn at the end of last year, more than half its GDP. “To keep international investors’ trust, we must remain squeaky clean in our fundamental economic institutions,” New Zealand Initiative chief executive Oliver Hartwich said. “Even Mexico, Nigeria and Venezuela are not as indebted to the rest of the world as New Zealand.”
The nation’s draconian response to the coronavirus was questionable, given it is an island with a massive moat and a small population spread over an area the size of Italy. Despite those obvious advantages, the stringency of its lockdown was higher than practically any other country, according to Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government. Deaths per million were the same as Australia’s — just four.
In any case, it wasn’t outsized compassion that drove the lockdown sledgehammer but the brutal reality of an underfunded health system. With about 140 intensive care unit beds and few ventilators — far fewer than Australia per capita — it was woefully underprepared. Ardern is more popular than ever, and by all accounts is a good person and a great communicator. But if a COVID-19 vaccine remains elusive, New Zealanders may come to question her wisdom as they fall further down the global pecking order. Without economic growth, there won’t be money for more ICU beds.
If we want to fete other countries for their response to the virus, how about Japan? It didn’t smash the civil liberties of its people for weeks yet it managed to keep deaths very low. Eschewing big-government solutions, Shinzo Abe would have had to “transition” to get the left’s attention.
ADAM CREIGHTONECONOMICS EDITOR