CORONAVIRUS KILLS, BUT SO DOES AN ECONOMIC RECESSION

The Government's announcement of further travel restrictions means that the country's army of low paid and casualised workers face an uncertain future and substantial job losses loom. While Green co-leader James Shaw says that 'we're all in this together' the Government shows every sign that it expects the most vulnerable among us to carry the burden of the approaching economic recession.

NOT LONG after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced every person entering New Zealand will be required to self-isolate for fourteen  days, the Green Party tweeted 'The health & wellbeing of our families, our friends & our communities is our Government’s main priority when it comes to deciding how best to control the spread of COVID-19 in NZ.'

Really? Seriously? During its first term in office this Labour-led government, despite the rhetoric,  has shown little real interest in the 'well being' of our communities. Instead it has continued to maintain the austerity policies that have only exacerbated the levels of poverty and inequality in this country. 

Jacinda Ardern's announcement will inevitably lead to widespread job losses especially in such vulnerable industries as tourism and hospitality. New Zealand's army of low paid and casualised workers have nowhere to hide from the impact of coronavirus. And while the Government is making noises about coming to the aid of the business sector, there's no evidence it has anything substantial to offer those who face losing their jobs over the coming weeks and months. If the country is about to descend into another economic crisis, its inevitable - short of an uprising of protest from the people - that it will be ordinary folk who will again be expected asked to carry most of the economic burden,  just as they were in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crash.

But over three decades of neoliberalism and over a decade of austerity means that ordinary people are in no shape to carry such a burden. They need help. Real help. They certainly don't need  the empty platitudes of someone like the Green co-leader James Shaw who tweeted shortly after Ardern made her announcement:

'New Zealanders have always supported one another through difficult times. Controlling the spread of COVID-19 in New Zealand will take the best of all of us. Be kind to each other, check in on older people you know, and support your local community. We’re all in this together.'

If we really are 'all in this together' then let's see the Government, for starters, substantially increase core welfare benefits and remove all welfare sanctions. Its a pity that this Green Party, joined at the hip to the policies of neoliberalism,  also continues to ignore the widespread call for a Green New Deal.

Even though the coronavirus has yet to spread it tentacles throughout New Zealand, its already beginning to have an impact economically. We know that the virus can kill but so can an economic crisis, and the victims are always the most vulnerable.