“Freedom Day’ for who? The true cost of National opening the economy on December 1st
Jacinda Ardern, Greens rip into National’s COVID-19 plan as Judith Collins pushes for freedom day
Labour and National’s political truce seems to be short-lived, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern rubbishing the Opposition’s proposed ‘freedom day’ plans.
National says it would end lockdowns and reconnect to the world when 85 to 90 percent of the eligible population among all regions and ages are vaccinated, or on December 1 – whichever comes earlier. According to health data, 66.6 percent are currently fully vaccinated.
National leader Judith Collins asked Ardern in Parliament on Wednesday if she agreed “we need to have a date of 1st of December by which her Government needs to complete the vaccination programme that they promised to do this year”.
Originally National wanted to reopen at 70%, then they wanted 75%. Then it was 80%, now it’s 85%.
National have kept moving this percentage up because the modeling keeps showing us that the numbers who will die at 70%, 75% and 80% are in the thousands and hospitalizations would be in the tens of thousands.
Even for National, that level of morality and sickness is a tad high, they prefer low level collateral damage for social policy, not mass graves.
That’s why National’s demand to open the country and drop the restrictions on December 1st is such garbage.
Push aside the tax bribes, what National are really saying is they are comfortable with 1000 dead as the sacrifice for the economy.
So whose freedom are we celebrating on December 1st? Not the poorest who can’t afford to get to the vaccination centers, not vulnerable communities who are distrustful of State agencies, not the children in over crowded homes – no, for them this is Death Day not Freedom Day.
All we can be certain off is that if National had been in power when the pandemic broke out, we would be a far more damaged and grief struck country.
Increasingly having independent opinion in a mainstream media environment which mostly echo one another has become more important than ever, so if you value having an independent voice – please donate here.
If you can’t contribute but want to help, please always feel free to share our blogs on social media
When all said and done, there is nothing behind the agendas of both NZ’s tory rump but whatever is expedient politically, and that will be dictated through the tory press, by those who own the parties.. That is, of course only for as long as they can keep from competing with each other to be “top dog”, or “conductor of the gravy train”.. Not betting on anything more than 6 months at the longest… Considering how long they’ve had to figure it out, this exposes a truly lazy minded effort.. I find it impossible to believe they are all that stupid, so what is the real reason for this mindlessly stupid “policy”? Although, on the flip side, look at the massive damage done to every aspect of life here when they did have actual policies, albeit ones that they had handed down by the new owners at the time.. Maybe a shallow, and utterly reactionary tory rump is the lesser of two evils..
Get your mind out of the party political trap it’s currently stuck in, and I will happily discuss things with you.. If you really think that my comment qualifies as “tribal” then you’ve been reading your dictionary of popular memes again, or are actually the one who is being tribal.. Which bit of my comment was anything but the bleeding obvious reality that has been the national party for at least the lest 25 years? None is the correct answer.. Your assumptions as to my opinion of the current govts performance is something that I will put out when I consider it relevant, so your attempt to introduce irrelevant issues into your “critique” are pointless, and display a lack of real argument.. Indeed, it is the “tribal” tories only real debating technique you’ve resorted to, which isn’t real classy I must say..
I’ll tell you whato Frankie, if you think Rimmer the answer, look at the accompanied photo, tell me he’s not Damien off the Exorcist. Funnily enough his policies are just as deadly.
Yep.
I believe the country does need targets so give some certainty in a uncertain world.. The effort has to be spelt out when the country will start a vaccine passport . This could be the push some hesitant people require. No travel on any public transport trains planes ferries buses unless double jabbed. It does seem unfair that businesses have to take the decision and risk of court cases to protect staff customers and their business.
On the anti vax side we have a Mayor at least 5 doctors 1 prominent lawyer and at least 2 religious leaders . These people will find easy ears to fill with a message of fear . The government has to stop being nice to these people.
Agreed, there can be no option but a plan to uncage Auckland, with urgency. I note Jacinda, yet again fence sitting and dithering.
It’s piss poor decision making by a government with a 4 year record of piss poor decision making that got Auckland into this mess. I am over ministers who cannot hide their anti Auckland bias any longer telling us what the fuck we are going to do, doling out little snippets of freedom as and when they see fit.
The current and frankly embarrassing exercise in futility trying to mop up outbreaks elsewhere states in bold, Auckland, in their muddled thinking, remains a separate state indefinitely.
A time date and place is required and damn soon to release Auckland because this government do not have a mandate to run two separate countries!
Aucklands voting power is such we can end this government and its time to consider that option!
How many dead are Labour going to tolerate since they ditched elimination?
National are only being honest, Labour hasn’t even admitted they’ve ditched elimination yet.
“National are only being honest”
Bahahahahaha!!!
National and Act?
Monty Python and the Holy Grail: Bring Out Your Dead
https://youtu.be/QcbR1J_4ICg?t=1
Unfortunately it will probably take a few deaths to motivate the remaining 20% or so unvaccinated that shit is real and get there a into g and get vaccinated
A perfect summation to date.
Meanwhile, Labour unceremoniously announces a reopening of schools for the least vaccinated sector of society, months before their vaccine mandates become effective – all with two days’ notice for everyone effected to suddenly shake-off three months of cobwebs right as the pandemic is evidently spiraling out of control.
And all you can talk about is Crusher’s irrelevant fantasy alternate-reality ‘plan’. I mean, when they let us hit-up the Macca’s drive-through people were screeching about death-cult capitalism and demanding a return to lvl 4 – but this reckless, ill-considered, unadvised (at least according to the teachers’ union) gamble? Not even crickets … What on Earth is happening?
Perhaps Mr Seymour looks to the country he promoted as the pin up child for N.Z. Yes he gleefully spoke of how our Government should have followed Singapore’s lead. Well guess what, there’s a reason why ACT are in opposition…
“Singapore will extend its Covid-19 restrictions for another month after the city-state reported 18 new deaths from the disease on Wednesday, its highest number of the pandemic.
In a news release Thursday, Singapore’s Ministry of Health said current measures would be extended to November 21, to help contain case numbers, which rose by more than 3,800 on Wednesday.
“Unfortunately, given the continuing pressures on our healthcare system, more time is needed for the situation to stabilise,” the ministry said in its statement, adding hospitals were braced for “a sustained, heavy patient load.”
“(The ministry) is doing whatever we can to support and bolster the hospitals,” the statement said.
Lawrence Wong, co-chair of Singapore’s Covid-19 taskforce, said Wednesday medical staff were “stretched and fatigued.”
“At the current situation, we face considerable risk of the healthcare system being overwhelmed,” he added.”
Please, please, never let the boy Seymour anywhere near the baubles of office.
The percentage of people vaccinated in entirely arbitrary. The correct stance is to say that everyone gets an opportunity to be vaccinated and those that don’t, get to take their chances, which is their right.
The typical response to this is: “But the hospitals will be overwhelmed” to which I would say: “Only if you admit them”
Problem solved
One does often wonder as to when ego takes over from any sense of responsibility let alone accountability for ones’ actions??!!!!!
Because we all know when it comes to say a National Party MP or their Hanger-On-ers like ACT that being a responsible adult is a somewhat alien concept to them.
Their motivation is Ego and Vanity. They would much rather be seen in front of the camera and appearing as “Fonts of All Knowledge” compared to any sense of being responsible to humanity.
One ACT MP would much rather present his rear end to the camera in a photo opportunity whilst wearing a comical grin. The other would much rather get her pet(called Cameron Slater)to do her dirty work for her whilst discrediting an expert in a medical field Collins cannot hold any accolade for.
And so what you have is two less than credit worthy idiots that deem themselves as experts on everything and yet possessors of nothing