Employment and Economy are major, influencing concerns
Electionlink by Labour Party launched; Another event by National Party on July 27
Venkat Raman
Auckland, July 21, 2020
Editor’s Note: The following article, in pdf format was released last night (Monday, July 20, 2020) as Tourism Minister and Deputy Leader of Labour Party Kelvin Davis at the Electionlink (a special section in Indian Newslink launched once in three years before the general election) at Mahatma Gandhi Centre in Auckland City. Among those present were Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway, Ethnic Communities Minister Jenny Salesa, Labour Party President Claire Szabo, Labour MPs, new candidates contesting in the ensuing general election (on September 18, 2020), supporters and Indian Newslink sponsors. A detailed report will be published tomorrow.
On the face of it, the general election, due to be held on September 19, 2020, could be a foregone conclusion, with Jacinda Ardern recording the highest ever public approval as Prime Minister and her Labour Party endorsed high in opinion polls.
Predications are that Labour will be able to govern on it own; if it does, the Party would create history; being the first since the Mixed Member Proportion (MMP) system was introduced in 1996. That could set the trend to debate the efficacy of the system and perhaps lead to the establishment of a bicameral legislature.
Rise of Jacinda Ardern
A politician who was seen as a young woman with a lot of hope at the Indian Newslink Electionlink launch held on February 28, 2017, has today risen to be one of the most admired leaders of the world, and certainly the most determined Prime Minister of this Century.
The empathy and love that she showed on the aftermath of the Christchurch massacre on March 15, 2020 made Ms Ardern the champion of the common people. According to her critics, she also handled equally well the Whakaari/While Island eruption on December 9, 2019 and the concerns it raised around the world.
Covid-19 has afflicted most countries the Continents since December 2019 and continues to pose serious threats to human lives and economies. New Zealand is among a handful of countries that handled the pandemic situation well. The country is now fully open to all businesses with freedom of movement, although the borders are closed for international traffic.
The government has the unenviable task of managing New Zealanders returning from overseas in isolation and quarantine facilities. This has become a messy task with breaches by some people and leaks by a couple of National MPs. The constant condemnation of former National Party leaders Simon Bridges and Todd Muller were seen as scaremongering tactics.
Ms Ardern has a team of capable ministers who have risen to the occasion to position their ministries and officials for quick and efficient response to Covid-19 with cash and other relief packages to employed and self-employed people, businesses, and others. There have however been criticisms that the government has ignored small businesses.
The Judith Collins factor
Notwithstanding the high level of public endorsement that Ms Ardern and Labour enjoy eight weeks into the general election, the rising importance of Judith Collins as the Leader of the National Party since her election on July 14, 2020 can neither be ignored nor underplayed. She is an aggressive politician and carries her campaigns on war-footing.
That attitude could be self-destructive. Since the onset of Covid-19, the National Party and its Spokespersons have continued to attack the government on every issue, while they should have been supportive in fighting off the pandemic.
Nonetheless, the fact that the National Party is in the process of rejuvenation cannot be discounted. Ms Collins has stimulated national debate with her eye-watering $31 billion infrastructure upgrade plan required to fix the transport network in many cities, with the largest share going to Auckland, followed by upper North Island.
We will discuss the Plan in some detail on the National Party platform on July 27, 2020.
Employment and Economy
Labour’s election campaign rests on five major issues: (1) Investment in human capital (2) Creating jobs (3) Preparing for the future (4) Supporting small businesses and (5) Positioning New Zealand globally to promote trade, tourism, education, investment, and other sectors
“It is about investing in our people, it is about jobs, preparing for our future, supporting our small businesses, entrepreneurs and job creators and positioning ourselves globally. I have seen economic downturns before and what they can do to those left behind. We must be mindful of the debt that future generations may carry because of what we need to do now. But we would be wrong to characterise debt as solely being financial. If we choose not to invest now, during the rainy day we have been preparing for, we burden the future with debt of another kind,” Ms Ardern said, speaking to the Labour Party Congress on July 5, 2020.
The size of a country and its ability to punch above its weight is often a determinant on the global scene in gaining attention and response. On such a score, Ms Ardern has been able to establish synergy with diverse leadership across the world.
New Zealand continues to score high on the world map as a reliable, well-meaning and honest friend, and its impressive status of being the least corrupt country on the Corruption Perception Index of Transparency International (although perception can be divorced from facts) is a source of endearment for international businesses and investors.
Transparent governance
But none of these would cut ice with New Zealanders who are largely unimpressed by grandeur. What matters to them is good and firm leadership, sound fiscal management, policies and programmes that promote a higher standard of living and most important of all, clean and transparent governance.
As the election campaign gets under way, Labour’s slings at the possible cost of other National Party’s policies would be watched with abiding interest.
Democracy under trial
Democracy is going through a difficult time. Where autocrats have been driven out of office, their opponents have mostly failed to create viable democratic regimes. Even in established democracies, flaws in the system have become worryingly visible and disillusion with politics is rife. Yet just a few years ago democracy looked as though it would dominate the world.
As the Economist wrote, democracies are on average richer than non-democracies, are less likely to go to war and have a better record of fighting corruption.
“More fundamentally, democracy lets people speak their minds and shape their own and their children’s futures. That so many people in so many different parts of the world are prepared to risk so much for this idea is testimony to its enduring appeal.”
