Make election a real test

Labour and National must offer visions for the nation’s future, writes Fran O’Sullivan

Come Tuesday. Come hubris. Jacinda Ardern had defied the Gods with her boasts that New Zealand was “the envy of the world” for eliminating the Covid-19 virus.

Just a week ago, Ardern took the stage at the Auckland Town Hall to launch Labour’s election campaign, telling her supporters New Zealand was preparing to take on the huge challenge of rebuilding the economy after the Government’s relative success in driving out the virus.

But the emergence of a new coronavirus cluster has changed the rhythm of this election.

On Saturday, just two election policies had been announced.

To all intents and purposes this would be the Covid-19 election.

For some 100 days New Zealand had seen no apparent transmission of the virus within the community.

At the town hall the mood was exuberant. Labour was preparing to sweep into power. Possibly hoover up more than 50 per cent of the vote on the back of the Prime Minister’s leadership of New Zealand during the crisis and her surging popularity.

On Friday, Cabinet extended for 12 days the Auckland level 3 lockdown and precautionary restrictions elsewhere. In its favour, the Government has moved quickly to corral this latest cluster.

But if Covid is to be the defining issue for the September 19 election as the Prime Minister has intimated, Ardern’s management of the response to ensure her elimination strategy works must be tested.

The Prime Minister’s superb communication skills have oft papered over the major weakness of her Government — the ability to execute. The failed “Year of Delivery” proved that.

She is an acknowledged master of political spin.

We see that at the 1pm daily press conferences where, ever alert to Ashley Bloomfield saying a word out of line, she steps across him with an explanation, checks him with a direct look, and even proffers her own advice on issues like personal protection when the health chief ventures into tricky political territory. He should be doing that himself.

But while she is vested in the dayto-day fray, she has been caught short when it comes to ensuring that what she promotes at the press conferences is actually delivered.

That was obvious with the inept failures at the border earlier this year.

Ardern relied on the bureaucrats’ words. But until Cabinet Minister Megan Woods was parachuted in as the Prime Minister’s point person, the checking was woeful. It was Woods who got out and inspected isolation facilities to see if potentially infected people were being appropriately monitored.

Ardern is trusting. But this is basic. The Government dropped the ball.

Until this week there was no compulsion to virus test those working at the border or in managed isolation facilities. Nor has there been comprehensive batch testing to check for community transmission. Even when Auckland went into alert level 3 lockdown this week, there was no compulsion on citizens to wear masks when out and about.

But the timing could not be more fortuitous for the purposes of holding an election which does canvass the important issues.

What it has done is to create the environment for a deep debate on New Zealand’s approach to dealing with the coronavirus.

Do we go down the path of questioning the economic costs of the current elimination strategy as promoted by two of my fellow columnists at the Herald? And to “allow the virus in”.

Or do we invest in a sophisticated and smart border? Top class quarantine facilities that provide for skilled foreigners to enter and contribute to the recovery?

And do we use the world’s best

If Covid is to be the defining issue for the September 19 election as the Prime Minister has intimated, Ardern’s management of the response must

be tested.

tracking and tracing methods to stamp the virus out quickly whenever it emerges?

Smart nations already use smart technologies.

Taiwanese, Chinese and Singaporeans don’t get hung up about privacy issues. They are happy to use technologies that allow accurate tracing. We could do so here by simply enabling mobile tracking.

We do not have to continue with a Kiwi “number 8 wire” approach.

There is more besides, with plenty of recommendations on Ardern’s desk which have been emailed in by her business liaison Rob Fyfe. Ardern must front up to the debate. A year ago, her Government’s failure to execute in a timely fashion on key policies, combined with an inability to stoke business confidence, contributed to an overall loss of confidence in the New Zealand economy. This is happening again.

Small businesses are pitched against an inflexible environment where public servants at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment decide which sectors are essential and which are not.

There is no public strategy which underpins how New Zealand will engage with the rest of the world when Covid dissipates. Or considers the industries that might replace tourism and international education.

National should also have to front on what its prescription, instead of carping from the sidelines.

This election matters.