Our best leaders keep their people safe, and voters know it
Some of the opposition to state lockdowns borders on political suicide.
“Thank you for keeping us safe.” That is what people in the street kept coming over and saying, according to Annastacia Palaszczuk. The Queensland Premier, who made history last weekend with a strong victory, has faced criticism and pressure for closing the borders and keeping them closed.
The border closure was brutal. It caused untold disruption, economic and personal pain.
At the end of the day though, the electorate backed the decision. This was a poke in the eye to the Prime Minister and other interstate critics. Mind your own business, Queenslanders said, and leave our Premier alone; she kept us safe, she is getting our vote, and we don’t care what you say.
If a political leader has only one job, that job is to keep their people safe. And if other political leaders have any brains, they won’t be seen to be doing anything to sabotage that, or get in the way.
This terribly annoys some, especially those who think COVID-19 isn’t really a big deal. However at the moment, it is not about the economy; it is about being able to go out and buy milk without being scared. Boring, pedestrian, but nevertheless, reality.
The desire might be short- sighted, unrealistic, naive even, but right now, people just want their governments to do whatever they have to do to keep them safe. Governments which do that will be rewarded. Governments which don’t will receive less support.
Whatever your leanings, the pandemic has changed voter sentiment, and a new set of measures is being applied.
Balancing budgets and avoiding deficits are of less interest, particularly since it appears money can be printed on demand. Worry over debt is a luxury we cannot afford and fiscal control is unrealistic. Culturally, muscular conservatism is on the nose, suburban women are ascendant, emotional IQ is paramount and empathy is essential.
Weeks ago, I put a theory to you. At the time, three elections were coming up: New Zealand, Queensland and the United States. Voters expect politicians to do everything to keep them safe, I said, and they will vote along these lines. The election results speak for themselves.
By the way, this analysis is not partisan endorsement, it is simply observation.
My observation is that in this new phase, traditional conservative governments, usually male- dominated and full of accountant/lawyer types, need to learn the new soft skill sets.
Consider, for example, the Victorian Liberals. After the way our state has come back from the brink, MP Tim Smith just this week labelled our contact tracing teams as “shambolic”. He told the NSW Premier she would have to be very careful opening the border to Victoria. This is mind boggling.
Since the pandemic began, Smith has worked tirelessly to run Victoria’s reputation into the ground. His enthusiasm for the task has overshadowed his leader Michael O’Brien throughout. O’Brien, a mild-mannered type, occasionally gets riled up enough to display outrage of the red-faced kind. All through our troubles, O’Brien sniped, complained, made fatuous suggestions and held a tasteless press conference, with little flags planted in the ground to represent all the Victorians who had died.
This is not to say opposition criticism of our government wasn’t warranted or justified. It is merely pointing out that it was delivered badly, at the wrong time, in the wrong way, and served only to turn people further against the Liberals. Some significant soul searching is required.
Our second wave should never have happened, but once we were in the thick of it, repeating that blindingly obvious fact was of no help whatsoever. Since that time, Premier Daniel Andrews has pulled us back from the brink. People understand that and are grateful. We look at Britain, we look at the US, and we shudder.
Sometimes, to be kept safe, people might have to give up some freedoms, for a while.
The best politicians realise this, and manage it well. When administering restrictions, they deliver authority with consideration, and keep a close eye on the emotions of their people.
Most people realise it too, and do their best, despite the pain and inconvenience, to comply with the rules. Others rage against it, become armchair experts on pandemic management, hand out unsolicited and ignorant medical advice and generally drive everyone mad with their opposition.
In the depths of the Victorian crisis, our Premier locked down Melbourne’s giant public housing towers. Residents, many with complex needs, were stuck inside, often in crowded flats without access to fresh air.
It was a horrifying situation and on the television, a political talk show was being aired. The hosts were complaining bitterly. A main gripe was how unfair it was that Labor could lock down the towers and yet it was not something “the Liberals would ever get away with”.
That discussion was galling to hear, at the time. It was an unfortunate way to be looking at things, in a crisis.
We don’t need to be like the US, with its red and blue states, and bitter divisions between them. It would be much better if we could avoid that here. Our best governments will remember that; they will keep us safe, and united.
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