Well, are they or aren’t they?

There seems to be some confusion over the wellbeingness of us all.  With great fanfare, the prime minister announced that the Government was setting new priorities and instituting new indicators to measure them.

The Government is committed to putting people’s wellbeing and the environment at the heart of its policies, including reporting against a wider set of wellbeing indicators in future Budgets.

Budget.govt.nz

Sort of sounds like it has Ardern, Robinson et al behind it all.

Journalists have reported that the Government is involved and since the article has not, as yet, been disappeared by the Ministry of Truth, we can still take it as read.

Government’s wellbeing indicators to be released next month, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirms

A Newspaper

So, we are all good?  Government indicators about wellbeing will be used.

Tricked ya!  They are not government indicators!

Hon Simon Bridges: What use will the indicator on spiritual health be?

Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again, these indicators?if the member wishes to call into question the independence of the chief statistician, that is a matter for him. I would acknowledge that in the past, when there’s even been a hint of that, his past Government jumped to the defence of the chief statistician and their independence. I point out that role again, but I also point out that having well-being measures, more broadly, is important for us to understand the well-being of New Zealanders?

Hon Simon Bridges: They’re the Government’s measures.

Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: That is actually incorrect, Mr Bridges. […]

Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again, obviously, I’m not intricately involved in the development of them, because they are not the Government’s indicators.

Hansard

“They are not government indicators.”

Are you keeping up?  The government … indicators are not government indicators.

Got it?

Have you booked a venue for your Christmas 1984 party? It will be upon us before you realise.