This year flu immunisations are already at record levels.
This year flu immunisations are already at record levels.
Ardern for Australian PM?
Emmerson's wonderful satirical cartoon in the Chronicle (May 7) re the outcome of Jacinda's Zoom meeting with ScoMo's national Cabinet no doubt had the Aussie radio stations interrupting normal programming to announce:
"Long-awaited unification accomplished without a shot being fired! After Monday's anschluss, President Jacinda willparade through Canberra with a large NZDF military force for the official signing at Australian Parliament before returning to New Zealand for a ticker-tape parade from Wellington Airport to the Beehive. The sudden move is believed to have been triggered by thousands of Australians saying on social media that they want Ardern to be our leader.
"She is expected to declare a public holiday for both countries and a new unification currency is being designed. Malcolm Turnbull has been approached for comment." CAROL WEBB Whanganui
Halfway through the lockdown - it's half-time and we look like we could be winning. Ashley Bloomfield and Jacinda Ardern are cautiously optimistic. Rod Emmerson
In Tuesday's Chronicle David Bennett offers some opinions, which I would like to present a different view on.
1) Re: the "annual flu plague" which he anticipates. This year flu immunisations are already at record levels. The regular monitoring of annual flu virus prevalence in New Zealand (see Flu Tracker) indicates that this may in fact be a year of extremely low transmission due to physical distancing and the emphasis on hygiene measures such as staying home if unwell and handwashing.
2) He states that seriously bad economic/employment possibilities must be assumed, yet states that worst-case scenarios for health outcomes were obviously wrong. Why would a government which has handled the health situation well not be equally competent to handle other aspects of government?
3) Lowering emissions to reduce climate change caused adversity is not a "real worry". The real worry is that emissions will not be reduced fast enough or significantly enough to prevent devastating consequences and life will truly never be the same again. ROBIN SMITH Whanganui
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Greens vital in fight yet to come
I wish to address Rob Rattenbury's comment (May 4) inferring the Green Party would best be consigned to "just other lost voices in the wilderness".
What appears to be lost on Rob is that the current Covid-19 crisis pales into being barely significant compared to the looming global environmental crisis and that the Greens are vital and at the forefront in promoting any kind of effective measures to deal with this imminent threat to all life and the planet.
Perhaps in his expressed politically centrist viewpoint the measures upheld by the Greens do not find comfort in his middle of the road complacency.
As for Labour being "basically a lame-duck government", in my memory, there has never been a mobilisation of resources and personnel under such short notice that even comes close to this very potent delivery from Ardern and the Government, from any past government, in dealing with this crisis.
The focus on issues leaves laughable the cheap politicking from Simon Bridges and Harete Hipango where there appears to be a total lack of measured, reasoned or rational critique.
A government focussed and determined to govern would only take into account critical appraisal of this nature. The politicking is only fodder in favour of Jacinda Ardern's re-election chances. PAUL BABER Aramoho
