<
https://theconversation.com/second-covid-inquiry-why-being-politically-prepared-for-the-next-pandemic-is-crucial-277848>
"COVID-19 changed the course of New Zealand’s political history.
Labour’s 50% of the vote in 2020 came from a huge electoral swing as a reward
for the main coalition party’s effective evidence-based policies, and then
prime minister Jacinda Ardern’s leadership.
It gave the party the first (and possibly last) single-party majority under the
MMP proportional system.
But as the second report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 says,
“New Zealand’s exit from the elimination strategy was difficult, rather than
prepared and staged.”
In late 2021, the report adds, “social licence and willingness to comply with
restrictions diminished”.
Central decision-makers became risk-averse and didn’t keep up with shifts in
public sentiment from late 2021. This contributed to a decline in public
confidence and to Labour’s election defeat in 2023.
NZ First’s return to parliament with 6% of the vote in 2023 was aided by voters
who had resisted vaccination. In its coalition agreement with National, NZ
First negotiated to widen the COVID inquiry to focus on vaccine mandates,
lockdowns and testing systems.
While politically contested, this phase two inquiry report is still valuable
for what it reveals."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
