Much though I want the restrictions gone, and my heart sinks at the prospect of this going onto March, or even September 2022 - I'm not sure what the alternative is to "emergency powers". Would that involve every covid related decision having to go to Parliament and be debated and voted on? Of course, in an ideal world there wouldn't be any restrictions, but the situation at the moment I can see is quite finely balanced. Yes vaccines have had a huge impact, and we need to recognise that, but we still have a substantial amount of people unvaccinated or partly vaccinated. So does the data and expert opinion suggest that number, with the associated slight increase in hospitalisations and so on is concerning if it carries on? Or is cracking on with vaccination sufficient, in the hope enough people have built immunity by the time the virus really gets going in the population again?
Part of me thinks that discussion, and the associated clinical data and expert opinion should be heard and made in public through Parliament, rather than in NSs closed room, maybe with her cabinet. But another part thinks Nooooooo. Don't waste parliamentary time squabbling over this... get on with other more important stuff in parliament on rebuilding and fixing the absolute socioeconomic bin-fire we have on our hands. In any case, it would either turn it into a partisan political slanging match- each twisting the data to what they want - or the opposition would be so scared of being seen to make an unpopular or "unsafe" decision, they'd end up voting alongside the government on everything anyway. I can't see it being an edifying process.
I still think all these decisions should be being made by an impartial, apolitical expert committee anyway. But given that's not happening, I'm not sure bringing in MORE politicians, rather than just the government through emergency powers, is the answer. And I don't like that!