Jacinda Arden has made Covid-19 and her government’s response to it the core of her (public) focus: this is, after all, the “year of the vaccine”.
Ironically Ardern was initially hesitant to mandate vaccinations and was on record as recently as mid-year opposing the use of vaccine certificates. However, in the last two weeks, she has pivoted 180 degrees and adopted restrictions that will essentially create two castes of New Zealanders: the vaccinated and the unvaccinated.
Individuals who refuse to be vaccinated will have drastically restricted freedoms. Likewise, businesses that refuse to comply with the government’s Covid Framework will be ineligible for government funding and support worth millions.
Despite now wielding a very big stick there is something conspicuously absent from Ardern’s hard-line approach: there is no mention of restricting benefits.
As of the end of September 2021, there are 359,493 working-age people in New Zealand receiving a main benefit, comprising 11.4% of the working-age population. Beneficiaries comprise some of the most vulnerable people in our society. They are also highly likely to be disproportionately represented among the unvaccinated. This is a key segment of society holding Ardern (and therefore the rest of the country) back from her 90% target.
Why then has Ardern refused to impose a “no jab, no benefit” mandate? It would be one of the biggest and most effective sticks the government could wield. It would precisely target a key vaccine-hesitant group, would cost nothing (in fact it would save money) and would undoubtedly be highly compelling in getting a key demographic vaccinated. Let’s also keep in mind that in line with “being kind” this is a group of New Zealanders who remain especially exposed and vulnerable to the danger of COVID-19 along with their dependents, many of whom are not able to be vaccinated themselves.
Could it be that Ardern’s own hesitancy has more to do with politics than health or science? Ardern will surely know that such a mandate would directly attack her base. But the logic is inescapable: if you are going to drastically restrict people’s freedoms for refusing the vaccine and restrict access by businesses to government support then you should also be prepared to restrict access to benefits.
By refusing to apply such a mandate Ardern is throwing sand in the face of the millions of law-abiding New Zealanders: the business owners and taxpayers who have followed her edicts and been vaccinated. She is allowing a situation to develop where a small minority of some thousands can hold the civil, political and economic rights of millions to ransom. This is the antithesis of democracy. She is refusing to deploy one of her most potent tools for a very simple reason: although it would help the country, it would hurt her and Labour.
Please sign and share the below petition to send a message to Jacinda: she must use all the means at her disposal. No jab, no benefit.