The ugly downside to the praise for Jacinda Ardern

Scott Morrison’s approach to the Christchurch terror attack may have been noticeably different to New Zealand’s PM Jacinda Ardern’s, but that doesn’t mean we’re a lesser nation, writes Mike O’Connor.

What a fickle mob we have become, ever eager to embrace the perceived virtue of others and use it as a weapon with which to bludgeon ourselves.

Prior to the Christchurch shootings, most Australians would have been hard-pressed to name the Prime Minister of New Zealand.

Overnight, however, Jacinda Ardern has been elevated to saintlike status following her emotive response to that tragedy, which is fine. What is galling, however, is the way that Australians have turned upon themselves in the wake of her public statements.

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Australia is suddenly being portrayed as a brutish and unfeeling land and New Zealand a place lit by the golden glow of empathy and awash with the milk of human kindness with

Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s response to the shootings compared unfavourably with that of his New Zealand counterpart.

If he had taken a sheet from Bob Hawke’s handbook and shed a tear or two on cue for the cameras would he have been judged more kindly?

Should he have appeared in sackcloth and ashes and self flagellated on the six o’clock news?

Scott Morrison’s response to the Christchurch terror attack was sincere, even if it was different to Jacinda Ardern’s. Picture Kym Smith

Morrison is a devout Christian with a family. Does anyone seriously doubt that he prayed to his God to give succour to the families of the victims?

He was not, however, portrayed in mainstream and social media as grieving sufficiently. In the hate driven whirls and eddies of the internet, it was Kiwis 10, Aussies 0.

Morrison was then accused by left wing commentators and social media harpies as being anti-Muslim without a shred of tangible, corroborated evidence.

Our country and its elected leader were slurred and we really do need to take a step back and reassess.

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Instead of attacking our nation, we might reflect on the qualities that make it one of the most desirable places on earth to live.

We have a stable democracy, freedom of religion and association, a vast social security network, an education system accessible to all, an efficient health system, an independent judiciary, an effective law and order apparatus and a high standard of living.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison visited the New Zealand High Commission to pay his respects after the terror attack in Christchurch. Picture: Adam Taylor

Little wonder that the queue of people wanting to migrate here stretches around the block.

Rather than be thankful for being fortunate enough to live here, there seems to be a growing propensity among my fellow Australians to denigrate their country.

Whining is becoming a national sport as people strive to find some way in which Australian society has disadvantaged them be it due to their sexuality, gender, race, religion or the colour of their hair.

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Our society has its flaws for nirvana exists only in the mind but it remains a country of great resource and opportunities for those who care to seize them.

We should be proud of our place in the world and look to the millions of people whose lives have been so enriched by making their homes here.

New Zealand’s response to the shootings was admirable. Attempts to use it to cast doubt on our own nation’s integrity are as saddening as the intellectual laziness of those who would judge a person’s moral depth by the number of public tears they shed.

Mike O’Connor is a columnist for The Courier-Mail.