Leading into the election the lyrics to this song are sounding more pertinent than ever.
You’ve got to accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don’t mess with Mister In-Between
Listening to the leaders of both major parties it is becoming increasingly obvious that this election is going to be fought on positive and negative lines. The positive talk is coming from Judith Collins while the negative talk is coming from Jacinda Ardern. This is going to give people a clear choice when it comes to casting their vote. Are they going to turn it into a COVID election or one based on voting for a government that has a thirty-year vision and policies properly costed to enact that vision?
Labour has seemingly decided that rather than contest the election with positive policies they are going to rely solely on their success at containing the COVID virus and hammer that message. This means a very negative campaign. It’s negative because it will contain a continuing element of fear. This element of fear was put in place very successfully with the introduction of the level four lockdown. Ardern is doing her best to ensure that she can take this strategy into the election.
If a Herald-Kantar Vote 2020 poll is to be believed most people are buying into it. The poll reveals 68% want the borders to remain as they are notwithstanding the economic consequences. Does this mean they are unaware of the severity of the consequences or they don’t care or they are so fearful they are desperate for the status quo to remain. There are two realities these people have to face. The first is the one they are fearful of, that opening of the borders will see the virus return and the second is the borders cannot be closed forever.
It is more than likely the borders will have to be opened before the virus has disappeared. This point is one the Government would rather not talk about, at least not until after the election. It does not suit their pre-election narrative. We are currently living in a unrealistic situation that economically we can’t sustain. There is no plan B and without one we are like a ship that’s lost its rudder.
Enough of the negative.
If you are looking for the positives in this election then you look to Judith Collins particularly when it comes to transport solutions. A thirty-year transport plan has been unveiled so far with particular emphasis on Auckland and Wellington. There is more to come. People need to take notice of her language. Every part announcement of the major announcement is prefaced at the start with the words “we will”. This gives emphasis that the plans are more than just mere words.
These projects will create jobs and act as an economic stimulus. What these types of announcements do is create an atmosphere of positivity when it is most needed. Judith is not ignoring COVID but is saying despite it the country has to keep moving and in a positive way. We cannot allow a self-perpetuating fear of COVID to dictate our future progress. I hope future policy announcements in other areas will be equally positive.
A clear choice is becoming evident for voters. It’s the positive versus the negative, fear versus faith. Faith in a government that has a vision, a plan to get the country moving. A government with a proven record of managing an economy in times of crisis. As the song says –
You’ve got to spread joy up to the maximum
Bring gloom down to the minimum
Have faith or pandemonium
Liable to walk upon the scene.
Judith wants faith while Jacinda wants pandemonium.
