Walking through the Queensgate Mall in Lower Hutt on Saturday, I realised that I was the only person without a mask. I don’t mean in the shops, I mean walking the aisles. Yes, you read that right. I did not see another person without a mask walking the halls of Queensgate. Not one.
At the height of Christmas shopping one might expect to see lots of signs outside shops advertising their wares, telling shoppers about special offers and generally promoting Christmas cheer. But no. Just about every shop had a sign outside advising how many people were allowed inside the store at one time; whether they needed a vax pass (some shops required it) and of course the inevitable “Sign In. Stop the Virus!” How exactly we can “stop the virus” in a town that has had no cases since mid-2020 is unclear but there is no chance whatsoever of forgetting about the pandemic for one minute. This is the most miserable Christmas atmosphere that I have ever experienced. This Labour Government has finally managed to take the joy out of everything.
The traffic light system is worse than the previous system. It takes more freedoms away.
But I think we all need to be very concerned, for another reason.
Earlier that day, I met a friend for breakfast at Lower Hutt’s busiest café. We booked a table because normally it is impossible to find a seat otherwise. Arriving at 9.00 am, I was surprised to find that there was hardly anyone there. We stayed until almost 10.30. In all of that time, the café was never more than one-third full. There were empty tables everywhere. I have never seen this café like that – not even in the height of the 2020 lockdown, once we were all allowed out under Level 2.
It is anecdotal, but what is this telling me? That people cannot be bothered with masks, scanning into a place and then having to produce a COVID pass? It is all too much trouble? Well, it certainly is, but it tells me something else. This place has got to be losing money.
I’m sorry to repeat myself, but it is important. During the latest outbreak, Lower Hutt has had no COVID cases. Not one. And yet we are all forced to behave as if we are contaminated, whether we are vaccinated or not.
The ‘traffic light’ system is supposedly all about protecting the health service. I understand that, and I don’t even disagree with it. But why are we all treated like lepers in a city that has no COVID cases? No one is in hospital, let alone ICU, in Lower Hutt, with COVID. And yet, we have to clear ourselves 3 times – scanning, masking and showing COVID passes – just to get coffee and a muffin while out shopping.
No wonder people can’t be bothered.
One thing is obvious. This is doing huge damage to local business. Most of the shops and cafés are less than half full. In retail, if you have a bad Christmas, you have a bad year. As for hospitality, they are suffering enormously, thanks to this Labour Government’s draconian policies about a virus that does not exist in our town nor in many other towns.
Answering patsy questions in parliament, Grant Robertson constantly raves about the extraordinary success our economy is enjoying. He talks about ‘macroeconomics’ like it is a word he has just learnt. But I don’t think Robertson actually knows what macroeconomics is. He equates it with the milk price, logging sales and the success of horticulture (all doing well in spite of our government rather than because of it), but that is not what macroeconomics is.
Macroeconomics is the branch of economics that deals with the structure, performance, behaviour, and decision-making of the whole, or aggregate, economy. The two main areas of macroeconomic research are long-term economic growth and shorter-term business cycles. Grant Robertson seems to think that macroeconomics deals with big companies and micro economics deals with small business. He is completely wrong on this, but no one else in the Government has a clue either.
Imagine for one second having a finance minister who doesn’t know what macroeconomics is? That is as bad as having a prime minister that doesn’t know what GDP is. We have both.
One thing is for sure. Our exporters may be doing well, but there is a local economy too (nothing to do with microeconomics) and it is suffering dreadfully. Last year, after the initial 7 weeks of lockdowns, people went out of their way to support local businesses, but now, with contract tracing, sanitising, social distancing, COVID passes and masks required just about everywhere, it is all too hard. I have to agree: it is beyond a joke. The government is forcing unnecessary regulations on us, not because they are needed, but just because they feel like it. Really, in Lower Hutt, and many other towns at least, there is no other reason.
If your local café has not closed down yet, it soon will. Add to all of the unnecessary checks the fact that, thanks to the government’s quantitative easing policy, your average cup of coffee is now $7. (Not in Lower Hutt yet, I have to say.) Is it all worth it? Mask up, scan in, use sanitiser, show your COVID pass and then pay an extra $1.50 to $2.00 for the privilege? How did we get to this?
Hospitality is being battered by this government, and we will see huge numbers of cafés, restaurants and bars go to the wall in the next few months. It is not that people don’t want to go there. The government has just made it too hard, and it is easier to just eat at home. It is easier to shop online too. No masks, no contact tracing, no COVID pass… what is not to like?
It is a disaster for local businesses though.
Wasn’t the introduction of the ‘traffic light’ system meant to give us freedom? Didn’t the media celebrate ‘Freedom Day’ just over a week ago? Are you feeling free? Because I feel more shackled than I ever did and I’ve never had COVID, I have never met anyone who has COVID, I have only lived in places that have no COVID, and I have never even had a test. That is how terrifying and all-embracing this virus really is.
But the real damage caused by this Labour Government’s reaction to the virus is not to our health. It is to our families and friends and to our society. Divide and rule. It is straight out of the communist playbook and it is coming to a town near you. No, scratch that. It has already arrived.