National - FFS!

[Balance]

I thought I would check out the websites of the Labour and National Parties for their Covid policies. The National site says there will be policy announcements to come. However currently no separate policy heading for their current Covid policy despite its having been the over-riding issue for months. They do have a general intro statement saying that we are facing one of the biggest economic challenge In 160 years but no specific mention as to the cause. So I would like to know how they would approach travel, borders, quarantine, targeted Covid assistance etc. There is not much info on their website.

Labour’s website is of more help in finding out their approach to Covid. The Covid response is first in their list of policy areas.

https://www.labour.org.nz/policy

https://www.national.org.nz/policy

You mean like Labour’s Kiwibuild policy on their website?

Posted to get the gullible public to vote for them with Labour having no clue as to how to deliver.

Same with Covid response - lockdown and more lockdowns.

[artemis]

Thought I heard Ms Collins say they will be publishing their border policy this week. That was before the change in election date. There is a big difference between government policy and opposition policy, especially wrt timing. Any party can choose what they release and when, and will have their reasons, but voters are particularly interested in government policy in a crisis situation that is hitting their pockets.

Otherwise it's jam tomorrow, jam yesterday but never jam today.

[Bjauck]

Thought I heard Ms Collins say they will be publishing their border policy this week. That was before the change in election date. There is a big difference between government policy and opposition policy, especially wrt timing. Any party can choose what they release and when, and will have their reasons, but voters are particularly interested in government policy in a crisis situation that is hitting their pockets.

Otherwise it's jam tomorrow, jam yesterday but never jam today.

You can still be an opposition Party and have actual policies especially for the serious issues that have been facing us for months. I would have thought that with an upcoming election the opposition cannot just rely for so long on attacking and criticising, they need to come up with actual policies. Just a couple of months to put forward whatever policies they decide upon, they will have their work cut out to put themselves forward as a Party for constructive engagement with the issues as opposed to destructive negativity.

[artemis]

You can still be an opposition Party and have actual policies especially for the serious issues that have been facing us for months. I would have thought that with an upcoming election the opposition cannot just rely for so long on attacking and criticising, they need to come up with actual policies. Just a couple of months to put forward whatever policies they decide upon, they will have their work cut out to put themselves forward as a Party for constructive engagement with the issues as opposed to destructive negativity.

National for one had a whole raft of detailed policy proposals on their website, and many called for input from the public through comprehensive specific questions plus plenty of room for unstructured feedback. I gave feedback on three that I have an interest in.

I just looked at the website and there are a whole lot of policies published already.

[Bjauck]

National for one had a whole raft of detailed policy proposals on their website, and many called for input from the public through comprehensive specific questions plus plenty of room for unstructured feedback. I gave feedback on three that I have an interest in.

I just looked at the website and there are a whole lot of policies published already.

It was their Policies in relation to tackling the Covid epidemic I was seeking.

[Balance]

It was their Policies in relation to tackling the Covid epidemic I was seeking.

Chill, Bjauck - election is two months away so we will all have enough time to read & assess National or Greens or NZF policies on tackling the pandemic when they are released.

Meanwhile, this is interesting reading, isn't it?

https://www.labour.org.nz/kiwibuild-2017

"KiwiBuild will deliver 100,000 affordable houses over ten years for first home buyers. Half of these will be built in Auckland. That is a ten-fold increase in the number of affordable houses being built in Auckland each year, from 500 to 5,000."

[Balance]

Nothing to do with my question on what is National’s Covid policy.

When they are released is the answer.

You sound so eager but will just need to wait.

Meantime, you could reflect on Labour’s election policies and assess how relevant they are in the real world.

Did you read the Kiwibuild policy like I did last election?

[Balance]

Interesting comparison Brownlee’s handling of the Christchurch earthquake and Ardern’s handing of Covid. True, Brownlee took on what was undeniably NZ's biggest natural disaster and delivered on many fronts. But only many fronts. There were a lot of holes in the system with some real horror stories re earthquake repairs, botched repairs, long delays, people’s lives on hold because of slow or no decision.
Some claims were settled quickly and the people were happy, but there were far too many that were slow to be settled and the people were/are not happy. And those were the insured home-owners.
I don’t remember if he was subjected to the same scrutiny with his response as Ardern is being subjected to. But over the years as the problems persisted I don’t remember the same negative focus on the mistakes he made, as they were revealed. The mud did not seem to stick to him.
.

Comparing the multi-dimensional response required to a natural disaster vs a singular lockdown response to a pandemic - that’s like comparing flying a jumbo jet vs driving a car.

You figure out which is which.

What we know is that the driver of the car could not even drive without steering into the ditch, twice!

[mikeybycrikey]

Comparing the multi-dimensional respond required to a natural disaster vs a singular lockdown response to a pandemic - that’s like comparing flying a jumbo jet vs driving a car.

Is this a joke?

So you’re saying that a global pandemic that has now basically shut down international travel in many countries for almost 5 months, brought the health system in many countries to a halt and has had unprecedented effects in NZ and around the world is simple compared to the Christchurch earthquakes?

I’m not sure my assessment of the relative effect and complexity of these totally different events would quite as clear cut as yours.

[Balance]

Is this a joke?

So you’re saying that a global pandemic that has now basically shut down international travel in many countries for almost 5 months, brought the health system in many countries to a halt and has had unprecedented effects in NZ and around the world is simple compared to the Christchurch earthquakes?

I’m not sure my assessment of the relative effect and complexity of these totally different events would quite as clear cut as yours.

Yes, I am.

Once the decision is made, lockdown is easy.

Once the lockdown has been done, keeping the virus out via quarantining should be the easier bit.

Can't help it if this government is incapable of a water-tight quarantine regime.

No amount of spin by this government is going to deflect from that simple fact - they failed in the simplest of tasks, twice!

Have a look at Taiwan at how things get done.