Rain came down on sombre nation

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Opinion

The weather could be said to be matching New Zealand's sombre mood over a weekend of driving rain, snow down to Lake Wanaka level in the South Island and the prospect of more rain for this district.

Setting everything off was the return of Covid-19 last week in a situation made far worse by lax border controls that allowed two cases into the country. Since then the number of new cases, the rest thankfully in managed isolation, has climbed to seven.

New Zealanders had enjoyed nearly a month of being free of the virus before two sisters were allowed to travel to Wellington on compassionate grounds, and were then found to be positive.

It is a hammer blow for the Government and the whole country that sparked understandable fury.

Realistically the country was never going to remain Covid-free and the Government had acknowledged this. But the five million who made so many sacrifices during the various lockdown levels, and the many who are continuing to suffer, have been badly let down.

Managing re-entry risks at the border is the key to New Zealand's Covid-19 strategy, so it is intensely disappointing to say the least to learn that those responsible had allowed people in quarantine to mingle freely and that they were not being tested as stated.

The Government has appointed Air Commodore Digby Webb to take control of border protection with its “Fix-it” Minister Megan Woods overseeing the whole situation (as well as managing Labour's election campaign).

New Zealanders will want to see sweeping change and there will be strong support for even draconian moves by Webb and Woods.

The return of Covid-19 was quickly followed by more awful news with the death of police constable Matthew Hunt, who was fatally shot when making a routine traffic stop in West Auckland. Blues players in Saturday's Super Rugby match wore black armbands as a mark of respect, supported by a nation shocked at this senseless tragedy.

It was a bad week for Warriors coach Stephen Kearney who was dramatically sacked by text after their loss to South Sydney. If ever a sports coach faced a difficult situation it was Kearney; his sacking is cruel to say the least.

So it was a grim scene all round on the news front last week. At least yesterday was the shortest day of the year, the traditional time when we all are heartened by the fact each day brings us closer to summer.