Tiger
For as long as I can remember, conducting business in New Zealand was relatively easy. There were clear rules, if you had a good accountant, saw a gap in the market and were willing to work hard, away you went. The growth in the human resources regulation (and HSE) was an impost, but came slowly and was certainly signalled with enough time to adjust and so on. I suppose the balance between the employer and the employee’s bargaining power was evened up a little. But whatever team was in, either Red or Blue, the tinkering was done around the edges. The reforms in the 80’s and early 90’s cleaned out the power of the unions and the growth of SMEs and self employment was a boon to those who wanted a bit of freedom and were willing to take the risk. A risk, most often associated with the family home. But it was worth it for the freedom.
That freedom is no more. As an employer, I now have to force my staff to undergo a medical experiment or else they lose their job. Why? Because I am not allowed to deploy unvaxxed staff on sites. I now have a government imposed limit to my freedom (and that of my staff). There is enough evidence to point to the vaccine (or rather mRNA therapy) being pretty useless in preventing transmission or infection of what is now a 2-year-old virus. It certainly does not keep you out of hospital. Israel’s evidence is proving this (rising hospitalisations and rising vaccination rates, even the ABC admitted this in September). So this whole workplace mandate is not about health at all. We at the BFD know this of course, but what about the workforce in general?
They are rapidly waking up. Two things have happened in the last week. A flight of fully vaccinated travellers is laid up in MIQ on account of being in the same plane as someone with the sniffles. Secondly, “Her Truthfulness”, laid out the plan regarding boosters every 3 months. I could almost hear the collective “say what?” from where I sat. Well duh, we’ve been telling the people here at the BFD for ages that compliance does not make you free. Only you can make yourself free. This brings me back to my business.
Everything about what is being imposed on business to coerce staff to get jabbed forever goes against my ethics, morality and beliefs. Besides, it does not make sense from a health or economic perspective. What do I have to do to be free? Well I have to fight, don’t I? This means I have to say an emphatic “NO” to my customers’ site access restrictions. This is going to be hard, as I may very well lose work to those companies that are prepared to comply. I may have to downsize as a result and lay staff off.
But to comply is arguably worse, particularly as I believe there will be a backlash legally and culturally in the not too distant future as the truth comes to light (as it is starting to already). My business has to become political, such as BGT has become (featured in Business of the Day this last week). Having been so disappointed with ACT and National and their weak responses to my pleas this last year, to open up the economy despite the risks, I have no political home whatsoever. I don’t want a politician representing me, they are career troughers and have no principles. They are clearly not content tinkering around the edges of legislation, they now want full compliance with the attending loss of freedom. A freedom I risked my modest family capital on to attain.
I have a warning to the troughers, globalists, seat warmers and shiny pants that inhabit the public service. You are now messing with the ordinary business folk, and they are getting angry. Worst of all for you lot, content in the political industry for too many years, the ordinary folk are getting political. And they have previous experience at risking everything for freedom.
