JACINDA ARDERN : THE SAME OLD CONSERVATISM

Conservatism is the new radicalism. Confused? Its all about defending the centrist politics of Jacinda Ardern and her Labour Government.

The good old  Encyclopaedia Britannica defines neoliberalism as an 'ideology and policy model that emphasises the importance of free market competition.' It elaborates that 'neoliberalism is often characterised in terms of its belief in sustained economic growth has the means to achieve human progress, its confidence in free markets as the most efficient allocation of resources, its emphasis on minimal state intervention in economic and social affairs, and commitment to the freedom of trade and capital.'

Read like this, its all seems rather polite and prosaic. But after four decades, the massive damage that neoliberalism has inflicted is evident for all to see. In New Zealand its cumulative effects have revealed themselves in such ways as job losses, a growing pool of low paid and insecure jobs, rocketing house prices  and rentals and a subsequent growing level of homelessness and long lines at the food banks.

But it has also revealed itself in the undermining of New Zealand's representative democracy. In the real world economic power is also political power and we have effectively seen the privatising of political power. Neoliberalism controls Parliament as well.  While there might be minor skirmishes abut policy the rule of the 'free market' remains unquestioned and unchallenged. There are no Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's or Zarah Sultana's sitting in our Parliament  putting forward alternative socialist views.

Of course it was supposed to be different under the Labour Government of Jacinda Ardern, or the electorate were led to believe. Even though she had never demonstrated anything but a centrist politics throughout her political career, Ardern campaigned on a platform of change and transformation in  2017 and was subsequently elected to office.

Since then, and another election later, there's zero evidence that Ardern is looking toward the significant structural changes that would  disrupt the ongoing trend of growing wealth for the already wealthy few and further deepening  poverty and desperation for the many. But while Jacinda Ardern and her Labour Government might be praised for its handling of the coronavirus pandemic little is being  said about the indifference it continues to show to the growing level of economic and social distress abroad in the community. Urging people to be 'kind' does not equal 'transformation'.

Jacinda Ardern's merry  band of 'progressive supporters' though  either remain silent about her Labour Government enforcing the neoliberal  status quo or they seek to rationalise their support.

So, in reply to Bryce Edwards' characterisation  of Ardern as 'conservative' and 'centrist',  commentator  Chris Trotter suggests that  'if its conservative  to give the people what they want, then Jacinda Ardern is a conservative' and then goes on to say that her conservatism is 'a badge of honour she can wear with pride'.

Well, they might be cheering Ardern's conservatism in the well-heeled suburbs of Remuera, Khandallah and Fendalton  but I doubt there will be anything positive being said about it  by the poor who were confronted by Ardern's conservatism when she flatly rejected the widespread community call for a substantial increase in benefit  levels in order to alleviate the growing level of social distress - coming not long after she reaffirmed  that the rich would remain untroubled by a capital gains tax.  

The danger is that some supporters of Jacinda Ardern - like Chris Trotter - would like us to believe  that Jacinda Ardern's conservatism is some kind of 'progressive' bulwark against the advance of the right. This is the point that  Bryce Edwards also makes:
 
'...the political left can celebrate a triumphant year in which their main party and politician are supremely popular. But they also need to accept that this is a direct result of Ardern's conservative approach...This conservative approach is what had previously kept the party of the right in power for decades, presiding over the status quo. It now looks  like it's time for the conservatives of the left to do the same for the foreseeable future'.

But while Jacinda Ardern might have scored another election victory - based largely on the back of its handling of the coronavirus pandemic - it still doesn't paper over the increasingly brutal economic conditions that many are facing. Nor does it paper over the growing level of anger that is abroad in the community. 2020 was not 'a triumphant year' for the many facing a continuing degradation of their standard of living and quality of life.

If we are truly 'to give people what they want', the answer does not lie in cheerleading for Jacinda Ardern's conservatism. It lies in changing an economic system that provides vast wealth for a few and worsening misery for the countless many.  That would be a real triumph and, I think, supremely popular.