New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addresses a press conference on measures the country is taking to prevent the worst impacts from coronavirus.Photo / AP
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addresses a press conference on measures the country is taking to prevent the worst impacts from coronavirus.Photo / AP
Opinion
EDITORIAL
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's appearances since the emergence of the coronavirus Covid -19 harken to an age when the politics of trust pulled a nation from the brink of disaster.
On the face of it, it would be a very long stretch to make comparisons with the "fireside" radiochats Franklin D. Roosevelt broadcast in the 1930s to soothe anxious banks after his famous comment about the only thing to fear was "fear itself". However, Ardern has clearly sought to strike a similar tone.
It is not such a stretch to compare our situation to America in 1933, where the nation could, in reality, plunge headlong into financial and societal destruction.
Roosevelt began his radio bulletin on March 12, 1933: "My friends, I want to talk for a few minutes with the people of the United States about banking." He then set about reestablishing trust between the citizens and leaders. Roosevelt earned the trust of banks and the wider people, in part because he was bluntly honest about the times. "Only a foolish optimist can deny the dark realities of the moment," he said.
In 2020 New Zealand, the words were reminiscent. "There is no existing playbook for the economic response here," Ardern intoned on Monday, later adding, of the mortal danger, "we do not want to be Italy."
There were also reassurances for the market however, despite so much justifiable pessimism, in seven soothing words: "We are prepared for this rainy day."
Finance Minister Grant Robertson has laid the groundwork with a $12 billion salvation scheme but it is Ardern who must face the anxious public.
Fittingly and somewhat reassuringly, Ardern talked tough on tourists who didn't take the self-isolation regime seriously: "There will be zero tolerance for those who do not follow the rules of self-isolation," she said.
"This reinforces how serious we are about protecting New Zealanders.
"We will look after you, if you look after us," was her blunt message to visitors.
In keeping with her efforts to make the pronouncement "fireside" rather than "broadside", Ardern tried to demonstrate the "East Coast wave". The raised eyebrows and lifted chin looked better on her sign language interpreter than Ardern, but we got the gist.
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There will need to be many more assurances, firm words and lighter moments in the weeks and months ahead if Ardern is to steer this nation from the worst of impacts from the meteoric virus and its razing economic tail.
One oft-spoken truism about trust is that it "cuts both ways". Ardern signalled we would have to trust visitors to our shores at this time, ruling out testing everyone at the borders, but that trust would only go so far.
To maintain her grip on the public's trust while this pandemic runs its course, Ardern will need a high degree of stamina and discipline to strike the right tone of firm assurance at our fireside as financial tumult and fear of contagion rages at our door.
