Covid19 Different political parties views.

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#2457855 8-Apr-2020 23:08

Re Simon Bridges , "Travelling Man"

Actually he has to get a nickname out of this , I'm sure there are some better ones .

He must like driving a lot .

That's not that easy a drive , and to do it week in week out.

Playing dodgems with the trucks over the hill from Tauranga, those short little passing bays.

I wonder if he ducks down the left hand side of lake Taupo or the right , ok is the right .

Neither is that easy, depending on logging traffic , etc.

In lock-down most of the toilet stops are out too .

Suppose the petrol stations would trust him enough to let him in to use the loo.

Maybe.

He could get a spot on Top Gear , the could arrange suitable cars for him to thrash up and down the country each week.

Oh my.

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Paul1977

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#2457931 9-Apr-2020 09:22

Why is the media not tearing Simon Bridges a new hole?

He talks about how he has his bubble at home and his bubble at work, but what about the twice weekly 500km drive which requires toilet and petrol stops, as well as the potential for a breakdown or accident requiring emergency services?

Chairing the committee meeting is an important job, but they are freaking Zoom meetings! He just wants to make sure he gets his time in front of the press.

David Clark was an idiot and has paid the price for it. Why is Simon Bridges getting a free pass?

OldGeek

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#2457963 9-Apr-2020 09:54

Paul1977:

David Clark was an idiot and has paid the price for it. Why is Simon Bridges getting a free pass?

Simon Bridges is an essential worker travelling to and from work and therefore exempt from the lock-down for that travel (only). David Clark is an essential worker whose travel was illegal under lock-down rules in force at the time (subsequently tightened further).

The controversy about Bridges is not the travel but his changing story justifying it to us lock-downers.

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Rikkitic

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#2458035 9-Apr-2020 10:43

Paul1977:

Why is the media not tearing Simon Bridges a new hole?

He talks about how he has his bubble at home and his bubble at work, but what about the twice weekly 500km drive which requires toilet and petrol stops, as well as the potential for a breakdown or accident requiring emergency services?

Chairing the committee meeting is an important job, but they are freaking Zoom meetings! He just wants to make sure he gets his time in front of the press.

David Clark was an idiot and has paid the price for it. Why is Simon Bridges getting a free pass?

Don't worry. He is not getting a free pass. Voters will remember this at the next election.

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#2458046 9-Apr-2020 11:05

OldGeek:

Paul1977:

David Clark was an idiot and has paid the price for it. Why is Simon Bridges getting a free pass?

Simon Bridges is an essential worker travelling to and from work and therefore exempt from the lock-down for that travel (only). David Clark is an essential worker whose travel was illegal under lock-down rules in force at the time (subsequently tightened further).

The controversy about Bridges is not the travel but his changing story justifying it to us lock-downers.

I think you must have missed the part of the travel guidelines from the Ministry of Health.

https://covid19.govt.nz/individuals-and-households/travelling-and-moving-around/leaving-your-house/

There is nothing preventing him from accessing ALL the services he needs from his house in Tauranga. He admitted as much on Radio NZ yesterday. He is only travelling to be in front of the Press Gallery.

He has UFB at home, he has a telephone. Why is it that EVERY other MP is able to work remotely when he isn't?

If you don't need to travel, then you shouldn't be. Follow the rules like everyone else.

Or if your presence in Wellington is so vital to ongoing democracy (which I am personally calling BS) then remain in Wellington. Yes it would be annoying for his wife and kids, but isn't that the price everyone has to pay right now for the sake of our country?

The controversy was firstly over the utterly debunked arguments over poor internet, now he attempted to pivot to him needing to be in front of the Press Gallery it has moved to his petulant attitude towards not staying put in either a bubble in Wellington or in Tauranga where both locations he is perfectly capable of executing his essential service.

and

Paul1977

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#2458291 9-Apr-2020 13:44

OldGeek:
Simon Bridges is an essential worker travelling to and from work and therefore exempt from the lock-down for that travel (only). David Clark is an essential worker whose travel was illegal under lock-down rules in force at the time (subsequently tightened further).

The controversy about Bridges is not the travel but his changing story justifying it to us lock-downers.

There’s a difference between being an essential worker and being required to travel as part of your essential work. Simon Bridges does not need to travel (and certainly not a weekly 1000km round trip) in order to carry out his responsibilities.

The fact that he keeps changing his story is evidence that not even he truly believes his travel is essential.

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#2458387 9-Apr-2020 14:30

I loathe to agree with Simon Bridges and Winston Peters but I do on the timing of the election. The last thing we need during this crisis is the upheaval of an election and uncertainty of leadership, A few months delay of the election is not going to cause any dramas.

tdgeek

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#2458397 9-Apr-2020 14:40

MikeB4:

I loathe to agree with Simon Bridges and Winston Peters but I do on the timing of the election. The last thing we need during this crisis is the upheaval of an election and uncertainty of leadership, A few months delay of the election is not going to cause any dramas.

I think the PM also agrees on that. If thats the case there will be a delay, but its too soon to decide that right now.

kingdragonfly

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#2458535 9-Apr-2020 16:37

At least there's some good news :)

Note the article is about, and by Peter Dunne. I guess he wanted to cut the middle man out of his whinging

Peter Dunne says the way the government has approached the pandemic crisis has effectively side-lined NZ First and the Greens and left them largely irrelevant

tdgeek

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#2458573 9-Apr-2020 17:34

kingdragonfly: At least there's some good news :)

Note the article is about, and by Peter Dunne. I guess he wanted to cut the middle man out of his whinging

Peter Dunne says the way the government has approached the pandemic crisis has effectively side-lined NZ First and the Greens and left them largely irrelevant

Not sure I see it that way. Labour has certainly been front and centre, and if you dont watch the select committee, pretty much everyone else is out of the picture. Lets assume for the sake af argument, that the virus response continues to do very well, thats probably the election over. Greens and NZ First being currently joined to Labour would benefit from being on the right side at the right time. It probably still comes down to a Kingmaker scenario.

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#2458938 10-Apr-2020 14:51

UN is being dragged under more politics. China has been appointed to the consultancy of the human rights council ?something like that. Next US accuses WHO head of being Beijing's puppet by ignoring Taiwan's warnings and facts about Covid, and now Taiwan for lack of a better word, has been set up like in a teen fraternity spat https://thediplomat.com/2020/04/tsai-rejects-accusations-taiwan-attacked-who-chief-invites-him-to-visit/

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#2458939 10-Apr-2020 14:51

Reproduced from Three reasons why Jacinda Ardern’s coronavirus response has been a masterclass in crisis leadership (CC):

Imagine, if you can, what it’s like to make decisions on which the lives of tens of thousands of other people depend. If you get things wrong, or delay deciding, they die.

Your decisions affect the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people, resulting in huge economic disruption, mass layoffs and business closures. Imagine you must act quickly, without having complete certainty your decisions will achieve what you hope.

Now imagine that turning your decisions into effective action depends on winning the support of millions of people.

Yes, you do have enforcement capacity at your disposal. But success or failure hinges on getting most people to choose to follow your leadership – even though it demands sudden, unsettling, unprecedented changes to their daily lives.

This is the harsh reality political leaders around the world have faced in responding to COVID-19.

As someone who researches and teaches leadership – and has also worked in senior public sector roles under both National and Labour-led governments – I’d argue New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is giving most Western politicians a masterclass in crisis leadership.

Three communication skills every leader needs
When it comes to assessing New Zealand’s public health response, we should all be listening to epidemiologists like Professor Michael Baker. On Friday, Baker said New Zealand had the “most decisive and strongest lockdown in the world at the moment” – and that New Zealand is “a huge standout as the only Western country that’s got an elimination goal” for COVID-19.

But how can we assess Ardern’s leadership in making such difficult decisions? A good place to start is with American professors Jacqueline and Milton Mayfield’s research into effective leadership communication.

The Mayfields’ research-based model highlights “direction-giving”, “meaning-making” and “empathy” as the three key things leaders must address to motivate followers to give their best.

Being a public motivator is essential for leaders – but it’s often done poorly. The Mayfields’ research shows direction-giving is typically over-used, while the other two elements are under-used.

Ardern’s response to COVID-19 uses all three approaches. In directing New Zealanders to “stay home to save lives”, she simultaneously offers meaning and purpose to what we are being asked to do.

In freely acknowledging the challenges we face in staying home – from disrupted family and work lives, to people unable to attend loved ones’ funerals – she shows empathy about what is being asked of us.

The March 23 press conference announcement of New Zealand’s lockdown is a clear example of Ardern’s skillful approach, comprising a carefully crafted speech, followed by extensive time for media questions.

In contrast, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson pre-recorded his March 24 lockdown announcement, offering no chance for questions from the media, while framing the situation as an “instruction” from government, coupled with a strong emphasis on enforcement measures.

Where Ardern blended direction, care and meaning-making, Johnson largely sought “compliance”.

Ardern’s approach also strongly reflects what well-known Harvard leadership scholar Professor Ronald Heifetz has long argued is vital – but also rare and difficult to accomplish – when leading people through change.

Ardern has used daily televised briefings and regular Facebook live sessions to clearly frame the key questions and issues requiring attention.

Also consistent with Heifetz’s teachings, she has regulated distress by developing a transparent framework for decision-making – the government’s alert level framework – allowing people to make sense of what is happening and why.

Importantly, that four-level alert framework was released and explained early, two days before a full lockdown was announced, in contrast with the prevarication and sometimes confusing messages from leaders in countries such as Australia and the UK.

The work of another leadership scholar, the UK’s Professor Keith Grint, also sheds light on Ardern’s leadership approach during this crisis.

For Grint, leadership involves persuading the collective to take responsibility for collective problems. Much of the prime minister’s public commentary has been dedicated to exactly that – and it’s been overwhelmingly effective, at least so far, with a recent poll showing 80% support for the government’s response to COVID-19.

Grint also argues that when dealing with “wicked problems” – which are complex, contentious and cannot be easily resolved – leaders must ask difficult questions that disrupt established ways of thinking and acting.

It’s clear this has happened in New Zealand, as shown in the suite of initiatives the government has taken to respond to the pandemic, including its decision to move to a national lockdown relatively fast compared to many – though not all – countries.

Of course, not everything has been perfect in New Zealand’s or Ardern’s COVID-19 response. Ongoing, independent scrutiny of the government’s response is essential.

But as my own research has argued, expecting perfection of leaders, especially in such difficult circumstances, is a fool’s errand.

It’s never possible. Nor should we allow the “perfect” to become the enemy of the “good” when speed and enormous complexity are such significant features of the decision-making context.

Whether you’re comparing Ardern’s performance against other Western leaders, or assessing her efforts using researchers’ measures of leadership excellence, as a New Zealander I think there is much to be grateful for in how she is leading us through this crisis.

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Rikkitic

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#2459032 10-Apr-2020 17:32

Although one or two people here still insist that Ardern is at best an indifferent leader, I think they are blinded by their political prejudices and are pushing a conclusion in search of an argument. I think our PM has shown herself to be an outstanding leader and most of the rest of the world seems to agree. I feel privileged to live here.

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Handle9

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#2459146 10-Apr-2020 22:52

Rikkitic:

Although one or two people here still insist that Ardern is at best an indifferent leader, I think they are blinded by their political prejudices and are pushing a conclusion in search of an argument. I think our PM has shown herself to be an outstanding leader and most of the rest of the world seems to agree. I feel privileged to live here.

Saying Jacinda Ardern is an indifferent leader is a fairly daft argument. We haven't had a prime minister with her ability to inspire people in my lifetime. That seems to annoy particularly partisan people but it's pretty hard to see through blinkers.

There is definitely an argument that she isn't a particularly effective manager but her leadership ability is without question.

OldGeek

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#2459313 11-Apr-2020 11:51

The leadership qualities of Ardern are seen in many lights - the COVID-19 is the most recent and current issue, but there are also issues going back to Andrew Little's resignation just prior to our last election. During the current term Ardern has been hamstrung by being in a coalition with NZF in particular. However there have been some significant mistakes made. The Tax Working Group was a fiasco given that NZF were never going to allow a CGT and Minister Robinson said at the start that the TWG would look at a CGT and other options. There have been other surprises with Government initiatives have been scuppered at the last minute, publicly, by NZF. What Ardern is extremely good at is empathy with victims of tragic circumstances - the Mosque attacks, the destruction wrought by weather etc. While the results of the last election saw Labour do far better under her leadership they were still well below National.

When measured by general election results (which is the best way to assess what voters think of political party leaders) it is too early to pass judgement on Ardern.

When it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic it is easy to consider Ardern to be effective and decisive. In effect though she has led us through a crisis introduced externally and to which we can only defend ourselves. While she (and the Government she leads) are to be congratulated on what has been achieved, it is in the context that the threat we faced was so severe that dissension on decisions taken was not an option because we did not have the luxury of time to debate them and the venue of that debate (Parliament) was necessarily shut down. It will be interesting to see how the next few months play out with us (in lock-down) versus Australia (not in lock-down). The debate may well be how each country repelled COVID-19 (or not) versus the economic cost and disruption each country suffered.

If Ardern is to be considered a great leader, her current history is far too short. All of our great leaders achieved greatness that necessarily involved winning multiple general elections (mostly consecutive) as well as many other notable achievements over a far longer period that the 3 years or so Ardern has had so far.

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