Opinion: Do we really deserve the trust being placed in us?

Stratford Press editor Ilona Hanne

The Government trusts us.

That, it would seem, is the clear message as the nation deals with Covid-19.

From self-isolation to the wage subsidy scheme, it seems like every second politician or government official has told us they are being operated under a high trust model.

From Police chief Andrew Coster to the Prime Minister herself, the phrase high trust has been thrown around from day one of the introduction of the alert levels.

And while part of me appreciates the trust the Government has in us all, another part of me can't help but wonder if putting such trust in us is akin to handing a toddler a permanent marker. You want to believe they will happily stick to the paper you have provided for their art work, but in your heart of hearts, you really know you will end up with a least a little bit on the carpet and the walls.

And that isn't news to our prime minister - over Easter she posted a picture of her toddler Neve's Easter egg themed art work to Facebook.

"Nana decided to go with a vivid for the job," she wrote alongside a photo of her daughter's artwork.

"Neve lost her balance mid drawing so we now have this masterpiece, and a fairly similar one on the carpet."

While I am not suggesting every New Zealander is currently writing on the walls with a permanent marker, I do question if a little bit of this trust in the high trust modelling used is misplaced.

While most of us are sticking to colouring between the lines on the paper provided, staying at home where possible, keeping our bubble small and following social distancing rules, some of us seem more interested in drawing on the carpet.

People are standing closer to each other, being a little bit less cautious in how they hand things to someone else, going out more and more. They are socialising and relaxing more, and remembering or following the rules so tightly a little bit less.

If we want to get to Level 2 as fast as possible, we need to make sure we stick to the Level 3 rules while they are in place. While it is great we can now enjoy the luxuries of contactless pick-up of goods from our local stores and grab a takeaway from one of the many excellent eateries we have in the district, we still need to limit our outings and behave responsibly. Give in to the temptation of a takeaway by all means, but don't be tempted to linger or chat while you do.

If we are going to make the economic and mental cost of living under Alert Level 4's lockdown worthwhile and meaningful, we need to remember what Alert Level 3 actually means. Remember this - Level 3 means Level 3, not Level Free.