Gladys Berejiklian gives a lesson in leadership on COVID-19

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian. Picture: Getty Images

Christmas celebrations will be far from normal for residents of Australia’s biggest city this year but the NSW government has shown that compassion does not have to be lost to the pandemic. Rather than a blanket approach like that taken in other states, the Berejiklian government is tackling the northern beaches COVID-19 outbreak with the minimum possible disruption. This has increased the task of government but improved the lot of citizens. The area of most concern, the northern section of the peninsula outbreak, has been identified and isolated. Different measures have been imposed in different areas depending on the perceived threat. It would have been easier to adopt a blanket ban on celebrations and travel, but at much higher economic and social cost. Yet still there are voices calling for a more cautious approach with tougher lockdowns. Their doom-laden expectations, to date, have proven to be overly pessimistic.

While things can change quickly, the results of NSW’s more nuanced approach speak for themselves. The number of new COVID infections recorded daily continues to be low. Only eight new cases were identified in the 24 hours to Wednesday morning from 42,000 tests. As a result, Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced a slight easing of restrictions to allow for families to better enjoy the Christmas break. Even in the centre of the lockdown area, households will be able to have five visitors, so long as they live within the declared hotspot. In Sydney overall, households will be allowed 10 guests, not counting children under 12. At this stage, the relaxed measures will be for the immediate Christmas period only. On December 27, existing limits of a maximum of 10 guests including children will be reimposed. So far, with record testing across Sydney, the approach taken by NSW has shown that consideration breeds respect. Residents in hotspots have heeded calls to remain inside. And, unlike the experience in other states, there has been no need for heavy-handed policing to bring the public to heel. One difficulty of the NSW approach is ensuring there is clarity in an increasingly complex message. So far, it appears to be getting through.

Given such efforts, the Premier’s frustration with her interstate counterparts is understandable. State rivalry and a culture of blaming Canberra for state woes is the cheapest form of retail politics. It is played repeatedly by Queensland and Western Australia. Ms Berejiklian has expressed exasperation at state colleagues who have been quick to shut the door on NSW. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk again played State of Origin politics with Sydney’s COVID outbreak on Wednesday, despite the falling numbers. Queensland has been shut to travellers from Greater Sydney and those who are allowed in from elsewhere face hours-long queues to cross the now fortified state border at the Gold Coast. “This has happened in NSW, it’s happened in the northern beaches, we wish them all the very best but we do not want our lifestyle compromised at this point in time,’’ Ms Palaszczuk said. By acting quickly and heavy-handedly on borders, it is Ms Palaszczuk and other premiers who have compromised the lifestyles and choices of Australians all around the nation.

Anthony Albanese has also been quick to play politics with the Sydney COVID outbreak. The Opposition Leader’s call for the vaccine program to be speeded up is a cheap stunt. Given Australia’s very low levels of infection and the lack of pressure on the health system from the pandemic in summer, it makes sense to proceed calmly and gain the benefit and experience of the early rollout of the vaccine in other countries. When a vaccine is available, it must be rolled out in a safe, professional way. Introducing politics to the vaccine program, as Albanese has done, opens the door to division on what should be a bipartisan pandemic response. Labor’s example in rushing through emergency measures, such as the pink batts scheme and the so-called Building the Education Revolution program in the wake of the global financial crisis under Kevin Rudd, does not give confidence that Labor knows best.

Lessons to be learned from the handling of the pandemic will be properly analysed in good time. At this stage, NSW does appear to have set the gold standard, having learned the lessons on contact tracing from the Ruby Princess fiasco early on. What is clear is that competent government has the flexibility to act with compassion. NSW has had confidence in its contact-tracing ability and is mindful of the impact of restrictions. Ms Berejiklian has taken the public into her trust; in return, people have responded responsibly. It is a lesson in leadership other premiers would be wise to follow.