It may be a disaster for most of us, but COVID-19 – or, more correctly, government responses to it – has been a big winner for a chosen few.
I’m not talking about the bennies being gifted a windfall of double payments for keeping on doing what they were (sitting on the couch playing video games) but the politicians who are reaping a (however temporary) poll surge for acting tough and decisive.
Never mind that they’re wrecking lives and economies. Just being on the telly every night, sonorously reeling off infection numbers while what appears to be an unemployed mime stands to the side, is a big winner with the panicked masses.
Tasmanian premier Peter Gutwein is one of the biggest winners. Tasmania’s arcane electoral system has long made life difficult for the Libs, and taking over from the popular (and let’s face it, far more telegenic) Will Hodgman was always going to be a tough gig for old baldy Gutwein. But COVID-19 has made him a rockstar in our little island to rival Jacinda Ardern. Even rusted-on Labor voters are swooning over their new chrome-domed matinee idol.
And why wouldn’t they? Gutwein is giving them the socialist paradise they’ve always dreamed of.
Closed borders, government-paid holidays, workers in the fields: Welcome to the socialist republic of Tasmania.
Tasmania will keep its borders closed until at least December, with the state government to subsidise locals to take holidays on the island and mobilise the jobless to gather harvests.
Dictatorial power and an enthralled electorate? Don’t bet on Gutwein giving up such a sweet gig in a hurry.
The shock measures are a sharp about-face for the Gutwein Liberal government, which had planned to create a travel bubble with other low-COVID jurisdictions this month.
Instead, the state will remain closed to all mainlanders until at least December 1, and millions of taxpayer dollars spent subsidising locals to take springtime on-island holidays[…]
“We cannot run the risk of a second wave in our state and I will not put Tasmanians at risk. We must continue to make decisions that are safe, sensible, and in the best interest of our state.”
While there are isolated grumbles beginning, they’re a distant rumble, overwhelmingly drowned out by the cheer-squads. Government announcements on social media resemble nothing so much as digital Nuremberg rallies.
Like New Zealand, Tasmania’s major earner, tourism, is being shafted.
The border decision is a major blow to the state’s tourism industry, which is heavily reliant on interstate visitors, particularly as spring would normally see an up-tick in holiday-makers.
To compensate, Mr Gutwein announced measures to boost local holiday-making and business functions between September 1 and December 1.
This includes a “Make Yourself at Home” travel voucher, costing taxpayers $7.5m. “The support will provide up to $100 towards the cost of a room in commercial accommodation, or up to $50 per booking to participate in a tourism experience, whether that be a cruise, a walk or entry to an attraction,” he said.
As well, $1.5m is to be given to schools to encourage excursions to tourism, parks or heritage sites.
“Strength Through Joy”, indeed.
The Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania reacted with dismay to the decision to keep borders shut. “We still believe the right way to go is an expanding national travel bubble among states reporting none or very few cases of COVID, to complement our local Tasmanian market,” said council chief executive Luke Martin.
“We struggle to understand why we now have to wait until December to open to states like Western Australia and South Australia, who have effectively had no community transmission for months.
Well, duh. Look at the opinion polls, or listen to the ABC. Still, Gutwein has to throw a sop to businesses who are shutting up shop in droves. Not content with robbing Peter to pay Paul with “free” holidays, Gutwein is labouring under the starry-eyed delusion that couch potatoes on government-funded double-pay will somehow flock to the fields, just because the government asks nicely.
Good luck with that. Maybe when the produce is rotting in the fields and the state debt is soaring, the cheer-squadders will start to think again.
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