Good leadership is guiding the way out of pandemic

Illustration: Johannes Leak

Throughout the pandemic we have maintained that good leadership involves more than simply saying no. It is about being prepared to make tough decisions and accept the consequences. The job of a leader is to listen to a range of views from experts, including health authorities, but to have the courage not to always take their advice prescriptively. Unlike special interests, health and security included, decisions on broader matters of public policy and freedoms must be seen through a wider lens. Decisions certainly must be made for reasons greater than perceived political opportunity or self-interest. The bigger picture includes social outcomes such as mental health and child welfare. It involves an economic framework that takes account of circumstances across the whole community, not just the financial welfare of those in protected industries or government-funded jobs.

By and large, NSW consistently has met this challenge, and it is demonstrating leadership once again with its road map to easing restrictions in line with rising rates of vaccination. One blind spot is education, where not enough is being done to get children back to school. The loss of contact with peers and missed quality time in the classroom with teachers continue to be heavy prices to pay for young people, who statistics show would suffer the least health impacts from contracting the virus. It is unreasonable to say citizens can go to pubs before kids can return to the classroom. The most important people in society are those incapable of caring for themselves. Children under 16 are in that category and deserve special consideration. Kindergarten and year 1 students will return to school on October 25. But years 2, 6 and 11 will have to wait until November 1, and years 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10 until November 8. HSC exams, wisely, have been delayed until the second week of November. But with so much time lost, there is a good case, especially for some non-government schools due to finish on December 3, to extend the term. Government schools finish on December 17. Schools in regional areas coming out of lockdown will be allowed to reopen next week.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian did not follow the lead of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in setting a “freedom day” as such. But she said restrictions would ease considerably across the state on the Monday after vaccination rates hit 70 per cent. As part of the government’s road map, fully vaccinated residents will be permitted to access pubs, clubs and restaurants, as well as retail shopping and ticketed public events. The government also will permit access to hairdressers and beauticians. Gatherings in homes and public spaces will be permitted with up to five visitors allowed in a home where all adults are vaccinated (not including children 12 and younger). Up to 20 people will be allowed to gather in outdoor settings. Businesses will be required to produce a Covid-19 safety plan adhering to reduced capacity, mandatory mask-wearing, compulsory QR check-in and proof of vaccination.

Thursday’s announcement represents a faster timetable than health advisers had wanted. But Ms Berejiklian has been able to see the bigger picture and has done what good leaders do, which is accept responsibility and its attendant risk. The NSW government began laying the groundwork for reopening when it changed the focus away from the daily rollcall of case numbers towards hospital admissions and vaccination rates. The long lead time is designed to encourage as many people as possible to get vaccinated so they can participate fully in the greater freedoms that are planned. There are certain to be teething problems as citizens get used to the idea of a vaccine passport and other intrusions that would have been unthinkable before the pandemic struck. But if the evidence from Britain is any guide, once freedoms have been restored the public quickly will move on and get on with life.

Like Ms Berejiklian, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews must be congratulated for recognising that a Covid-elimination strategy is no longer possible with the Delta variant. Like NSW, Victoria has eased restrictions for rural residents and is working on a plan to open more broadly when vaccination thresholds are reached. To his credit, Mr Andrews has long said that once everybody has had the opportunity to get vaccinated he is not going to lock down the state to protect those who won’t protect themselves.

Scott Morrison has backed NSW’s reopening plan, describing it as a “careful and safe” road map that is in line with the recommendations of the Doherty Institute modelling to reopen the country. The Doherty Institute has said it will be safe to open the country once vaccination rates reach between 70 and 80 per cent. Currently, 40 per cent of Australia’s eligible populations are vaccinated against Covid-19, with the pace of coverage increasing quickly. Certainly, the federal government has had its challenges with the vaccine rollout. But continued petty squabbling over the detail of early negotiations with Pfizer must be seen for the partisan politics that it is. The federal government is showing leadership with its plans to reopen the nation to the outside world. The Prime Minister has made clear that international borders will open and the ability for citizens to travel will be restored once vaccination rates hit 80 per cent.

All in all, with a pathway to post-Covid life becoming clearer, this is a great moment for our country and an example of good leadership at both a state and federal level. It is also a great celebration of the human spirit where individuals have faith in their leaders at times of crisis. Experience shows that all communities will do what their leaders make them feel comfortable doing. This is what makes it so depressing when lesser leaders trade in the politics of personal opportunity and fear, rather than in hope.

It is understandable that premiers in states where there are no Covid-19 cases would want to preserve that for as long as possible. But once the two biggest states are out of lockdown, with open borders and a focus on health outcomes rather than case numbers, it will be only a matter of time before the citizens of the smaller states of Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia demand their leaders follow suit.