This week in Covid

I wish to make a couple of points about the handling of Covid.

I have looked at how some countries have handled it: some countries, like America and Britain, have been almost-incomprehensibly incompetent, most have dithered and blundered and been racked by internal division, and only one democracy, New Zealand, seems to have acted with reasonableness, decisiveness, and genuine concern for the health outcome. In general, compared to authoritarian and Asian countries, the western-style democracies have failed in their covid response. This need not be so, but it is indicative of a problem in some/most democracies.

1. Why people come to distrust experts.

The state border of Queensland is closed to some other countries/Australian states/territories/hotspots –persons from there may not enter Queensland. Persons from other areas may enter Queensland, but must immediately undertake a 14 day quarantine. Here in Queensland, the chief health officer Jeannette Young, is able to grant exemptions for entry/quarantine.

“We need every dollar in our state,” Dr Young has said. Young has belatedly admitted that money was the basis of granting exemptions, that where the person could be of a substantial enough economic benefit for the state, they would be granted an exemption.

However, Dr Young is the chief health officer, and needs to act only and entirely on health imperatives; she is not the chief health officer and assistant treasurer, she is not the chief health officer and acting finance minister.

All she has done is undermine her own position and our trust in her. It is reasonable to ask now if when she makes a statement on health matters, is it solely health considerations that justify that statement?

2.  The crocodile tears of SmugMo, Australian Prime Minister Scotty from Marketing.

SmugMo was nearly in tears when he phoned a conservative radio commentator, lamenting that a daughter in another state couldn’t visit her dying father in Queensland without undertaking a compulsory 14-day quarantine.

Alexandra Prendergast’s father, Bernard Prendergast, died last week and the family was brought into the national spotlight when Ms Prendergast’s step-sister, Sarah Caisip,  was unable to attend the funeral because of coronavirus restrictions.

“I think these stories, they’re so personal, they’re so private, and I think that’s part of the reason they’re used as a political tool — because they really do pull at the heartstrings — but it’s so unfair to put somebody who’s going through such a hard time already through the public eye,” said Ms Prendergast.

The near-distraught SmugMo was playing a cynical political game, and in a real democracy, with standards for debate and of acceptable behaviour, SmugMo would have been admonished.

Remember, even though his department received incontrovertible proof of the ongoing sexual abuse of children in detention centres, then Immigration Minister SmugMo denied it, and did nothing. Even the Australian Medical Association said at the time his inaction was tantamount to facilitating child sex abuse.

Remember, even though the government had incontrovertible proof of neglect and abuse in aged care homes, then Treasurer SmugMo slashed the federal funding to the aged care homes. In what universe, with no other action but cutting funding, would this address the issue of neglect and abuse?

So even though SmugMo has a history of less than decent behaviour, this evangelical christian puts himself on some kind of moral high-ground?

The view from his moral high-ground is him atop a stinking pile of shit, and this week he is awarded the Golden Turd award.