Time for leaders to show the courage of our convictions

Premiers hide behind secretive “health advice” that has banned everything from playgrounds to sunsets. That’s kept children from school. That’s birthed a crippling, devastating shadow pandemic. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Courage has many faces. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the past decade, it’s that. It’s rarely obvious, not always seen. It’s often in the still, small voice someone hears in the middle of the night and chooses to follow, stomach knotted yet resolute. It’s the person who chooses to do the right thing regardless of the cost or how difficult. It’s the one who chooses forgiveness over bitterness and faith over fear, in myriad ways and expressions, day in, day out.

I’ve seen great courage during this pandemic. I bet you have too. Friends, struggling to remain buoyant under the weight of crushing, extended, draconian lockdowns. Mates who have poured their lives into their businesses, only to see them crushed by restrictions imposed by a bureaucracy that’s never known risk or skin in the game. Families, separated from their loved ones, for years now. Parents and children, husbands and wives, partners, all the while knowing the rules in this space especially, vary depending on what sport you play and what film you’re shooting. These people, your friends and mine, our neighbours, families, acquaintances at work maybe. They have kept going and keep going. They anchor themselves in hope, and wage daily war against despair. Their courage in this past 18 months has been legion.

And what of the premiers and chief ministers of this country? It would be a fair stretch to suggest any of them have shown courage, save the NSW Premier who this week sensibly said what everyone already knows. Zero Covid is over. It’s easy, isn’t it? To criticise the NSW Premier in hindsight, eight weeks into this lockdown you’d be forgiven for doing so. However, she is the only one of a motley crew who is willing to call out the lie of elimination and clearly articulate a path forward. That takes courage. It should also be reminded that NSW has, from day one, bravely and willingly taken the majority of returning travellers while the other states bleated, whined and refused to help.

It’s time the rest of the premiers and chief ministers ponied up. They love turning up to national cabinet, agreeing to an opening strategy then, like petulant school kids with their fingers crossed behind their backs, emerge days later to say they’re not playing anymore.

That takes no courage at all.

In my view, it is time the rest of our state and territory leaders matched the courage of the people they are elected to serve. A reminder; they are servants of their electorates, not their masters. Yet they continue to threaten us all with rolling lockdowns, even after vaccination targets are reached. They stand to lose no income, and refuse to acknowledge the undeniable, catastrophic impacts lockdowns are having.

The Prime Minister and Treasurer were right this week to call them out. For their political nonsense, their collective exhausting double-crossing. The premiers, notably the Labor premiers in Queensland, Western Australia and subjugated, gas-lit Victoria know there is a federal election looming and are doing their best to verbal the Morrison government for anything and everything.

Sure, they can deny it’s about politics but if it’s not that, then what? The only other explanation is that none of them has the ticker to do the job. They can’t have it both ways.

They hide behind secretive “health advice” that has banned everything from playgrounds to sunsets. That’s kept children from school. That’s birthed a crippling, devastating shadow pandemic of self-harm and domestic violence. Advice that’s been selectively applied when it comes to freedom of movement. Anyone else wishing they’d taken up footy?

These premiers say things like “we are all Australians”. They deny access to medical treatment and lock out their own but make exceptions for actors, sports people and the wealthy. They promise to crush and kill this virus. The rank arrogance, the hubris of any person who declares such a thing. They may as well promise to hold back the sea with one hand.

None of this is courage. It is fear masquerading as wisdom.

It is time for courage and honesty. Not politics. It is also time for corporate Australia, to turn its disquiet and rumblings into a roar. On behalf of staff who can’t work. On behalf of the families who remain hopelessly separated and crushed by isolation. On behalf of casual workers who live hand to fist each week. On behalf of the vulnerable and marginalised who are lectured to by millionaires and media elites about how lockdowns aren’t tough enough or hard enough.

Ultimately, because Zero Covid is a lie. Everyone knows it is a lie. Because none of us wants to squander our precious days in fear. And because it’s the right thing to do. Choosing courage is always the right thing to do.

Gemma Tognini is executive director of GT Communications.