Send in another wave of troops. Sack private sector security guards and re-hire the same or similar people on $3 an hour more overseen by a swarm of MBIE officials. Let’s not stop there when we can have the oversight of Political Commissars Simpson and Roche. Frankly, I’m surprised that Ardern didn’t call for the passing of the Lazarus Bill so that Savage, Fraser, Nash, Nordmeyer and Kirk could personally shore up the managed isolation and quarantine facility political problem.
I call it a political problem because it is but the politicians – particularly Ardern and Hipkins are ducking for cover, throwing shade left and right, on public sector officials who have no ability to answer back in public. Robertson is in there, as always, being the fiscal enabler of sticking plasters for cock-ups. Moving beyond extended wage subsidies – wait for the extra big bill that this new ‘security service’ will produce. Easy to create and very hard to get rid of. Some unions are ecstatic. Others are spewing.
The rhetoric from Ardern and co now is that this is a very ‘tricky’ virus and no solution is perfect. Anthropomorphism is fun in regard to labradoodles but not from senior politicians seeking to describe a viral pandemic. The right words are highly infectious, lethal and indiscriminate.
I’ve talked about the Defence Force situation in other articles. Whilst fine to be used as a first responder in challenging times, there needs to be an exit strategy now to get service personnel back on to their actual job – you know; warfare – the national capability that dare not speak its name. The one that no-one else can do? Do we really think it’s a good idea to keep the NZDF running MIQ until Covid-19 runs its course over several years?
So…to summarise the border managed isolation and quarantine situation (beyond the Government not locking it down tight enough, soon enough.) The Police were in charge. They got replaced at the upper level by the Defence Force. The private security guards are now to be replaced by more NZDF personnel and Government-paid security guards based on little public evidence as to why but a reassurance that the living wage will solve a lot of Ardern’s problems. There are, apparently, dissident groups within the Ministry of Health and competition between them and other agencies. Some iwi agencies are also upset. Enter the Political Commissars Simpson and Roche who, I guess, Air Commodore ‘Digby’ will be now reporting to. Valar Morghulis!
We haven’t seen the last of neo-socialism in New Zealand yet, I’m guessing.
Other COVID-NZ articles by the author
The NZDF aren’t Handbag Checkers
Fiction: Covid-19 – The World Resets
COVID-NZ Battles, Campaigns and War
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New Zealand's National Security 