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Back to the blackjack table

3 August 2021

I honestly could not believe my eyes this morning.

After our narrow brush with and lucky escape from the delta variant of CV19 thanks to our "travel bubble" with Australia in recent weeks, I find it absolutely incredible that now we are proposing quarantine free travel with Tonga, Samoa and Vanuatu.

Yes, that's right, it seems the government has learned absolutely nothing from our near miss with infected travellers arriving under the Australian travel bubble and we're happy to roll the dice again so as to endanger the vast majority of our population who, by the time this comes into effect, will still lack full vaccination.

What the hell is wrong with these people and who amongst them will be prepared to take responsibility if it all goes badly wrong?

Answer: not a one of them.

It seems that we absolutely must have seasonal workers from these island nations because our industries say so. They need to protect their profits and the trinkets that such profits provide so to hell with everyone else?

Yes, it may be injurious to a great many seasonal industries if this flow of cheap labour is unavailable but what about those who could end up on a mortuary slab or suffering long-covid for the rest of their natural lives if the worst happens?

How do they explain why this is necessary to the families of those who, through a single slip-up, could end up mourning their lost ones?

It was only two days ago that this story ran in the media:

Covid-19: How would Aotearoa cope with a Delta outbreak?

Let me post a few quotes from that piece:

"Our health system would be overwhelmed if the Covid-19 Delta variant takes hold in New Zealand, experts warn"
"...our health system would be quickly overwhelmed by a Delta outbreak. We'd have to tighten up level 4"
"New Zealand’s best plan of attack in the event of a Delta outbreak, Hendy says, would be level 4 on steroids, including a reduced essential workforce, home Covid-19 tests, and vaccinating essential workers"
"even with all the beds in the world, New Zealand would struggle to staff an outbreak"

Yet, despite this, we're about to open the doors to an influx of seasonal workers who won't have to spend a single minute in MIQ.

Yeah, that's going to end well for sure!

Once again we're seeing that although we have a Prime Minister who's more than happy to prostrate herself at the temple of WOKE, much of the deep concern and empathy seems to be with the mighty dollar rather than the suffering of those who could find themselves struck down by Covid if/when things go titsup.

It is worth remembering that it was nothing but blind luck that avoided the spread of the delta variant when infected tourists arrived during the Aussie travel bubble. Next time the cards could be against us and, given our paltry levels of vaccination, we could be facing a protracted Level 4 lockdown. Such a lockdown would likely cause far more economic harm and financial suffering than the lack of seasonal workers we might otherwise have to deal with.

It seems our politicians retain the title of "not the brightest bulbs in the socket" but you can be pretty sure THEY have had their vaccinations so what's the problem? And besides, if lots of people die it won't take long to introduce an inheritance tax to make little extra cash for the crown coffers... right? Ever cloud has a silver lining when you're the government.

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