Something appears to be profoundly broken with Gladys Berejiklian’s crisis cabinet. Dysfunctional, deeply fractured, these guardians of the state’s pandemic response have spent the past month dithering over numerous strategies that have yielded higher case numbers, further restrictions and the pain of prolonged lockdowns.
They have delivered no good news for the people of Shellharbour, where there has not been a skerrick of Covid-19 since a casual contact was detected on June 18. Nothing, too, for areas such as the Blue Mountains, and other local government areas, where cases either have not emerged or are low enough as to be easily managed.
The result, already well established, has seen entire communities needlessly confined to their homes and students falling behind in ways that could have consequences for their future earning capacity.
Such effects are already being modelled by the state’s chief economist, Stephen Walters, who told The Australian last week: “We know if kids lose a substantial amount of in-school learning, it does cascade as a drag through their lifetime earning capacity.”
With caricatured graciousness, Ms Berejiklian has repeatedly assured the public she understands what the people are going through during this loathsome period, as though she, too, suffers in the same way as people living in tiny apartments, or in violent relationships, or those battling a mental health disorder.
Worse than any of this daily condescension is that her government appears to be losing its handle on its pandemic strategy. What began at the start of this outbreak with an eradication strategy morphed into a suppression strategy that has now become a vaccination strategy.
Promising as this latest iteration may sound, it means lockdown will remain until a critical mass of people is inoculated, well past the latest August 28 extension. Instead of intelligent and flexible lockdowns, with restrictions eased for unaffected regions, we’ve seen panicked and knee-jerk responses deployed with alarming frequency.
Was there really any point to the two-week pause on construction? Did this disastrous policy decision that blindsided the industry have even the remotest impact on case numbers?
Where once the Berejiklian government was known for its snappy, innovative leadership, it has given way to sluggish decision-making and much of this has been centred around the crisis cabinet. It took them two weeks, for heaven’s sake, to agree to a singles bubble.
The crisis cabinet is plainly bereft of adequate advice and representation, particularly on matters of mental health and education. Bronnie Taylor and Sarah Mitchell, the two ministers responsible for these portfolios, are excluded from discussions. Ms Mitchell is also a mother of small children.
When critical decisions are made, they find out with everyone else at 11am.
Says it all, really.
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