Why criticism of National's 'Back to Business' plan is disingenuous
The criticism of the National's "Back to Business" plan by experts and government is not only unfounded but is downright disingenuous.
On October 20, Judith Collins announced National's ‘Back to Business’ plan in Wellington, ahead of the government's new Covid-19 approach announcement scheduled for Friday, making a bold statement of ending lockdowns and opening up New Zealand by December 1, with vaccination targets of 85-90 percent across the country.
The unimpressed government has hit back on National's proposed financial support plan, sighting “financial illiteracy,” and found support from experts – a group that it has itself ignored in recent times by marching ahead in opening up Auckland’s lockdown under its own confusing stage system within Alert Level 3 – who blamed National’s plan would risk vulnerable Maori and Pacifica communities.
The fact that the government's criticism of National's plan was aimed at what has almost become the latter's Achilles' heel in recent times – tax cuts – clearly shows how muddled the government's focus and priorities have been lately.
The tax cut was not the central focus of National's Back to Business plan, despite a poor attempt by the party in flogging a dead horse and seeking to revive the proposal for tax cuts.
The key emphasis was on ending the lockdowns and opening New Zealand to the rest of the world by December 1.
If the government is not prepared and ready to end lockdowns and open New Zealand by December 1, then it should come out and say when it will be ready to do so.
New Zealanders want to know when this long strenuous wait in lockdown will be over, especially with the government already having given up on its ‘elimination strategy’ and pursuing a ‘suppression strategy’ in managing the Delta outbreak.
Till date, New Zealanders do not know clearly what the government's approach toward the Delta virus is – does it want to stamp out the virus completely or accept the reality that it is here to stay for some foreseeable future.
As of today, 85 percent of people aged (12 and over) have had at least one dose of the Pfizer vaccine, and it is expected that in the next six weeks by December 1, the total number with both doses will be between 85-90 percent – when National’s proposed Back to Business plan is asking for ending lockdowns.
If the government would not end lockdown and open New Zealand by then, with that level of vaccination, then what is their target for vaccination rates and the date by which it proposes to achieve that and let New Zealanders come out of lockdown and more importantly, let a million-strong Kiwis living overseas return home and reunite with families?
Is the government alluding to suggestions by some experts that even with 90 percent vaccination an abandonment in restrictions would result in 1500 deaths and 13,000 to 14,000 hospitalisations over the next year?
So, what is the vaccination rate target those experts are proposing beyond 90 percent, when they think that removing restrictions would become risk-free? And how far is New Zealand, at current rates, to achieve that level of vaccination target?
Clearly, there is not much meat in criticism coming from a lot of experts these days, who are busy suggesting what is not feasible instead of proposing what is doable and achievable, thus leaving all decision-making on changing Alert levels to mere gut-feeling and risk-taking appetites of the political leadership.
This explains why Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been finding ways to not abide by some experts’ repeated suggestions of putting Auckland in snap lockdown under Alert Level 4 – as she is politically savvy enough to read that Aucklanders are becoming jaded under lockdowns.
National under Judith Collins is demonstrating a little more adventurism in taking the risk of putting out a clear date and target, which is easily achievable at current rates of vaccination, for ending lockdowns and opening up New Zealand.
Both Ardern and Collins are demonstrating a risk-taking appetite in managing the Delta outbreak going forward, except that Ardern is choosing to remain more conservative while Collins is willing to be more adventurous.
So why is one approach better than the other when both are treading away from experts' advice?
On the contrary, there is more certainty and a clear plan in National's bold adventurism and hope of coming out early from long strenuous lockdowns and minimise the collateral damage on the small businesses sector.
Whereas Ardern's conservative approach is not only keeping Aucklanders in long strenuous lockdowns and families divided by closed borders, which are now at 18 months, and yet is seeing that Delta is not stamped out of the community.
It is time for the government to take decisive actions under strict deadlines, particularly around increasing vaccination rates within our vulnerable communities.
The vaccination rates of Pacifica and Maori communities are hovering around 81 per cent and 66 per cent, respectively with one dose, clearly showing where more efforts are required by the government to boost vaccination rates.
The efforts to reach out to every household in such communities and engage with community stakeholders to address the issue of vaccine confidence within a set rigid deadline should be made on a war footing.
A lot is at stake, with millions of New Zealanders bogged down under long lockdowns and tens of thousands of Kiwi families remaining divided across closed borders.
This has to end fast, especially because it has begun to end in the rest of the world.
National has, probably for the first time since the beginning of the Covid pandemic, offered something that is believable, doable, achievable, and much needed by a majority of New Zealanders.
The criticism of the National's "Back to Business" plan by experts and government is not only unfounded but is downright disingenuous.
On October 20, Judith Collins announced National's ‘Back to Business’ plan in Wellington, ahead of the government's new Covid-19 approach announcement scheduled for...
The criticism of the National's "Back to Business" plan by experts and government is not only unfounded but is downright disingenuous.
On October 20, Judith Collins announced National's ‘Back to Business’ plan in Wellington, ahead of the government's new Covid-19 approach announcement scheduled for Friday, making a bold statement of ending lockdowns and opening up New Zealand by December 1, with vaccination targets of 85-90 percent across the country.
The unimpressed government has hit back on National's proposed financial support plan, sighting “financial illiteracy,” and found support from experts – a group that it has itself ignored in recent times by marching ahead in opening up Auckland’s lockdown under its own confusing stage system within Alert Level 3 – who blamed National’s plan would risk vulnerable Maori and Pacifica communities.
The fact that the government's criticism of National's plan was aimed at what has almost become the latter's Achilles' heel in recent times – tax cuts – clearly shows how muddled the government's focus and priorities have been lately.
The tax cut was not the central focus of National's Back to Business plan, despite a poor attempt by the party in flogging a dead horse and seeking to revive the proposal for tax cuts.
The key emphasis was on ending the lockdowns and opening New Zealand to the rest of the world by December 1.
If the government is not prepared and ready to end lockdowns and open New Zealand by December 1, then it should come out and say when it will be ready to do so.
New Zealanders want to know when this long strenuous wait in lockdown will be over, especially with the government already having given up on its ‘elimination strategy’ and pursuing a ‘suppression strategy’ in managing the Delta outbreak.
Till date, New Zealanders do not know clearly what the government's approach toward the Delta virus is – does it want to stamp out the virus completely or accept the reality that it is here to stay for some foreseeable future.
As of today, 85 percent of people aged (12 and over) have had at least one dose of the Pfizer vaccine, and it is expected that in the next six weeks by December 1, the total number with both doses will be between 85-90 percent – when National’s proposed Back to Business plan is asking for ending lockdowns.
If the government would not end lockdown and open New Zealand by then, with that level of vaccination, then what is their target for vaccination rates and the date by which it proposes to achieve that and let New Zealanders come out of lockdown and more importantly, let a million-strong Kiwis living overseas return home and reunite with families?
Is the government alluding to suggestions by some experts that even with 90 percent vaccination an abandonment in restrictions would result in 1500 deaths and 13,000 to 14,000 hospitalisations over the next year?
So, what is the vaccination rate target those experts are proposing beyond 90 percent, when they think that removing restrictions would become risk-free? And how far is New Zealand, at current rates, to achieve that level of vaccination target?
Clearly, there is not much meat in criticism coming from a lot of experts these days, who are busy suggesting what is not feasible instead of proposing what is doable and achievable, thus leaving all decision-making on changing Alert levels to mere gut-feeling and risk-taking appetites of the political leadership.
This explains why Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been finding ways to not abide by some experts’ repeated suggestions of putting Auckland in snap lockdown under Alert Level 4 – as she is politically savvy enough to read that Aucklanders are becoming jaded under lockdowns.
National under Judith Collins is demonstrating a little more adventurism in taking the risk of putting out a clear date and target, which is easily achievable at current rates of vaccination, for ending lockdowns and opening up New Zealand.
Both Ardern and Collins are demonstrating a risk-taking appetite in managing the Delta outbreak going forward, except that Ardern is choosing to remain more conservative while Collins is willing to be more adventurous.
So why is one approach better than the other when both are treading away from experts' advice?
On the contrary, there is more certainty and a clear plan in National's bold adventurism and hope of coming out early from long strenuous lockdowns and minimise the collateral damage on the small businesses sector.
Whereas Ardern's conservative approach is not only keeping Aucklanders in long strenuous lockdowns and families divided by closed borders, which are now at 18 months, and yet is seeing that Delta is not stamped out of the community.
It is time for the government to take decisive actions under strict deadlines, particularly around increasing vaccination rates within our vulnerable communities.
The vaccination rates of Pacifica and Maori communities are hovering around 81 per cent and 66 per cent, respectively with one dose, clearly showing where more efforts are required by the government to boost vaccination rates.
The efforts to reach out to every household in such communities and engage with community stakeholders to address the issue of vaccine confidence within a set rigid deadline should be made on a war footing.
A lot is at stake, with millions of New Zealanders bogged down under long lockdowns and tens of thousands of Kiwi families remaining divided across closed borders.
This has to end fast, especially because it has begun to end in the rest of the world.
National has, probably for the first time since the beginning of the Covid pandemic, offered something that is believable, doable, achievable, and much needed by a majority of New Zealanders.
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