That New Zealand's strategy has failed

[JudesBiggestFan]

And they will have to start the long and painful process of learning to live with Covid? I spoke to my friend in NZ earlier and he was in shock at being back in lockdown. He said they really felt they'd defeated the virus and this has just come out of nowhere. I feel for him but an airborne virus...it can't be stopped. And the cost of trying is too high. Or do they still have a chance of beating the virus?

@JaniieJones

'Lot less dead on thatta side of the world though'

Also, what a glib way to talk about those that have tragically died. Show some sensitivity fgs. There's a lot less 'on thatta side of the world' population size too. You need to look at this It may help you with context, deaths per million etc. Google population density too, educate yourself! go on I dare ya. You must try to let your issues with the empire and colonialism go..

Bottom line is NZ has very few dead, i'm not for one moment saying the UK could have done similar but it could have done a whole lot better.

Look at Asian countries or Germany, not islands, big populations, hi densities.

NZ has vaccinated its most vulnerable, so even if Delta became mainstream, they'd not reach, proportionately, the deaths many in Europe have experienced.

@Essexgirlupnorth

I have some friends that live in NZ that I met when I was living in Australia they seem quite happy about the lockdown and the low number of cases. There does seem to be a more we are all in this together and things have been far more normal over there than they have been here.

Their problem is reopening the borders and restarting the tourism industry. No one is going to want to go on holiday anywhere that makes you quarantine for 14 days first. Australia was doing really well then delta got in I don't think any country can keep it at bay for ever.

Your first paragraph is dead on, speaking as someone who has lived half their life in each country (UK and NZ).

There is a sense of cohesiveness in NZ that comes out particularly in crises.

The UK thinks it has the same, because of WW2, but the truth is that it doesn't.

There is a sense of cohesiveness in NZ that comes out particularly in crises.

It's a mixture of obedience, peer pressure and a weak national media.

Criticism of aspects of nation and government is seen as normal and expected here, whereas there it's taken very very personally, and that makes effecting real change a challenge.

It’s easier for a tiny country of 5 million to be cohesive than one around 13 times bigger.

I would't necessary say it has failed but countries that had little/not much coronavirus last year are now, living in almost regularly lockdown, going from lockdown to lockdown. Where as for most of the rest of the world is starting to open up and things largely look brighter.

@PicsInRed

There is a sense of cohesiveness in NZ that comes out particularly in crises.

It's a mixture of obedience, peer pressure and a weak national media.

Criticism of aspects of nation and government is seen as normal and expected here, whereas there it's taken very very personally, and that makes effecting real change a challenge.

It's because it's a small country. People know each other.

That does make things a bit more personal, but I deny that it chills criticism. From here, a lot of criticism of the UK government (regardless of its political hue) just looks like propaganda.

The difficulty in effecting real change is more to do with lack of people spotting and researching issues, and lack of government capability. Small country problems basically.

@TheCountessofFitzdotterel

It’s easier for a tiny country of 5 million to be cohesive than one around 13 times bigger.

Hell yes. It's quite normal for people to know someone in public office or not be that far removed. I know a couple of people who were friends with Ardern in the past.

It has knock-on effects too. No way would the Cumming incident have been tolerated here. It would have brought down the government.

It's because it's a small country. People know each other.

It's a small country but millions of people don't each other. They arent even alike, there are racial and class divides which would put the UK to shame.

Person out in the World: Aww, my cousin's brother lives in Gisborne, do you know him?

Me: No. No I dont.

@PicsInRed

There is a sense of cohesiveness in NZ that comes out particularly in crises.

It's a mixture of obedience, peer pressure and a weak national media.

Criticism of aspects of nation and government is seen as normal and expected here, whereas there it's taken very very personally, and that makes effecting real change a challenge.

This is a rather broad-brush interpretation.

That has been widespread support for the handling of the pandemic (mainly because we’ve been living normal lives for the most part), and little tolerance for criticism, that is true.

However, if you think Jacinda and the Labour Government (indeed, any NZ Government) are immune to criticism, then you haven’t been following the news. The housing crisis jumps immediately to mind.

Yeah, great! And the fact that New Zealand is 1000s of miles from anywhere, back at the arse end of the planet you do realise the earth is round so there isn't an arse end?

But we've found out that people manage to talk out of their arse regardless where they live geographically.

The housing crisis jumps immediately to mind.

S&P recently warned of the likelihood of a "disorderly" property market unwinding (and impacts on lenders and the wider economy).

Almost no oxygen was given to this in the NZ press where it should have been a show stopper, because if the disgraceful S&P are finally making the call it's a good indication there may be a problem there.

RBNZ seem to have followed suit somewhat, and predicting prices falls, slightly more coverage but still disproportionately muted.

But it has been ever thus with the national economy housing.

Dismissing us as being ‘at the arse end of planet, in the middle of nowhere’ is just an easy way to dismiss us irrelevant.

@LimeRedBanana

Dismissing us as being ‘at the arse end of planet, in the middle of nowhere’ is just an easy way to dismiss us irrelevant.

'basically, we're a pimple on the arse-end of the world'

It was a New Zealander who said it..

That poster was sarcastically picking up on what so many accuse us of being (does this need explaining?).

Anyway, I was responding to the person @StoneofDestiny was quoting.

There does seem to be some weird ideas in New Zealand. Here's NZ Covid Minister Chris Hipkins giving kiwis advice to go outside and spread their legs.

Oh believe me, the Hipkins ‘spread (instead of ‘stretch’ - obviously) your legs’ memes are all over our social media!

You can see his face thinking WTAF did I just say on National TV in the immediate aftermath!

It's a mixture of obedience, peer pressure and a weak national media.

The usual utter crap we have come to expect from this poster, who no longer lives in NZ and yet seems to spend an inordinate amount of time fixated on what is happening here instead of the country they now live in. We know we fall far short of your expectations, and presume you have moved away because of that - so how about you give it a rest and enjoy the flaw-free country you now reside in.

There seem to be a lot of people on this thread with no first-hand current knowledge of NZ trying to shout down those posters who do and are trying to explain what it’s actually like here and how we are actually responding or the latest outbreak. Baffling. Ka pai to those who’ve tried, but hi there doesn’t seem to be much point in trying to convince anyone locked into ignorance (or a Plan B mindset).

Oh and I’m not aware of any crowing/gloating/boasting when we were not locked down and those in the UK were. Many of us have friends and family overseas and were terribly sad for them, and aware of our good fortune in being able to live relatively normally. But we all knew we’d have community cases again eventually, so hubris would have been especially stupid.

I'd take Jacinda and their approach every day over Boris and our absolute shitshow.

NZ shines as a Murdoch free nation.

@PicsInRed

The housing crisis jumps immediately to mind.

S&P recently warned of the likelihood of a "disorderly" property market unwinding (and impacts on lenders and the wider economy).

Almost no oxygen was given to this in the NZ press where it should have been a show stopper, because if the disgraceful S&P are finally making the call it's a good indication there may be a problem there.

RBNZ seem to have followed suit somewhat, and predicting prices falls, slightly more coverage but still disproportionately muted.

But it has been ever thus with the national economy housing.

You keep trying to take this thread on tangents. Why is that?

Well said @TuMeke. I'm over all this NZ bashing by a bunch of ignorant MNers who seemingly have nothing better to do. Me - I'm off to make the most of the warm sunny lockdown weather.

Only people who don't live in New Zealand and rely on overseas news sources would be suffering under the misapprehension that Jacinda and the Labour government are immune to criticism.

In saying so (to copy Dr Ash's favourite phrase), the housing crisis has been about 40 years in the making so it would more than a bit unreasonable to try to pin either the situation or responsibility for fixing it immediately on one government.

/offtopic

Of course, all Nat/Act supporters do think Jacinda is immune to criticism. Of course they do!

@gofg

Well said *@TuMeke*. I'm over all this NZ bashing by a bunch of ignorant MNers who seemingly have nothing better to do. Me - I'm off to make the most of the warm sunny lockdown weather.

There are some very strange people on here who seem absolutely gleeful that New Zealand and Australia are suffering at the moment. Only 26 lives lost in NZ, I call that wonderful. Enjoy the sun! I'm in chilly Melbourne. Sun is out but it's only 10 degrees.