Jeff Kennett: Premier must outline his plan so Melbourne can recover
As the community overwhelmingly complies with the Premier’s stage four restrictions, he must clearly outline his virus strategy so we can make plans to rebuild confidence and employment in our city, which right now is a ghost town, writes Jeff Kennett.
Opinion
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When I went to my office on Monday, it was as though life had been sucked out of the community. Shops closed, construction sites limping, restaurant upon restaurant closed, the streets empty.
The city of Melbourne is a ghost town. It cannot go on like this. The rebuilding of confidence and employment must start now, or at least as quickly as possible.
Let us hope the measures now in place will have halted the spread of COVID-19 infections by mid-September when this selective lockdown is scheduled to end.
We need the Premier to tell us clearly what strategy he and the Chief Health Officer are following. Is it a strategy for elimination of the virus or containment? I always thought it was containment, but I fear it may be elimination.
If it is elimination, that will come at an enormous social and economic cost to Victoria, because there will be outbreaks well into next year — particularly as so many of our health workers have contracted the virus.
If it is containment, then our industries need certainty that they can start planning to reopen after mid-September and hire staff, rearrange lines of credit and purchase goods and materials. These things all take time. Further, there must be a guarantee a third shutdown will not be imposed. The Victorian economy cannot be built on a stop-start basis.
Not only Victoria is losing major events to other states, we are losing our population. The exodus will continue if businesses are not given certainty to plan with confidence.
Sadly, some businesses will not reopen. Others are back to where they were 20, 30, 40 years ago.
Event businesses, for example, have closed. Thousands of young employees are either on JobKeeper or Jobseeker. Many have no chance of re-employment until the sporting and arts industry get back to pre-COVID trading levels.
That, at best, might take years. By providing certainty, those businesses can at least start the long haul of rebuilding.
It is good the Melbourne Cup will still be run, albeit probably without a crowd. But think of the number of hospitality events normally held around then that will be cancelled. Similarly, AFL football has not been played in Victoria for months. Look at the restaurant industry — another big employer of our young — trying desperately to survive and retain staff by selling takeaway meals. They need certainty that this limbo will end.
Walk down any of our shopping strips and centres, and you will see an increasing number of shops for lease or sale. Certainty from our leaders now will be too late to save those retailers, but it might help those who have the resources and stamina to reopen.
Without certainty, more businesses will be at risk of closing for fear of trading while insolvent, or to stop them haemorrhaging.
Sadly, this school year has been the most difficult for students, teachers and parents. The impact of this disruption on students will probably only be truly apparent next year when they move to the next level without the usual class contact and experiences. Our education system needs certainty.
The community is overwhelmingly complying with the Premier’s edicts, regardless of whether we agree or disagree. He owes us the same respect. Tell us whether we are pursuing elimination or containment.
Leadership is not all one way. It has many facets. What good is it if one day the Premier declares we have eliminated the virus in Victoria if there are no businesses left to hear his news and to employ the population?
The Andrews government has never been business friendly, particularly small business, but now more than ever it needs our business sector if we are to rebuild our economy as quickly as possible.
The government must start to listen, answer questions and importantly, offer certainty.
Victoria is in the position we are today because the government has had complete control of the political process, and until recently has not been sufficiently held to account. Unfortunately, the Opposition has little standing and even less authority. They do not have the numbers in the Lower House or the Upper House, where the independents have the balance.
Political leaders can and should seek advice from as many sources as they wish, but in the end, they must consider the totality of the community’s interests.
There are and have been so many contradictions. How can parliament not sit, because the Chief Health Officer cautions against it, while the community is allowed to congregate at Dan Murphy’s to purchase alcohol
There is a coalition of people and interests who are willing and able to focus on rebuilding Victoria. Government cannot provide all the employment opportunities needed. History has shown we cannot financially sustain a bloated, inefficient, remunerated state public service while the private sector and small businesses limp along on federal government subsidies.
Our business community needs to be vibrant. If you reach out, if you provide the certainty business seeks, I am willing to let others determine past responsibility, and work with you and the private sector to start rebuilding the state.
There is not a week to waste.
Have a good and healthy day.
Jeff Kennett is a former Premier of Victoria