2020 election: Australian columnist Greg Sheridan criticizes Jacinda Ardern as ‘pitiful, fraudulent’

With New Zealand’s election just two days away, the rest of the world will watch the outcome in part because of Jacinda Ardern’s international profile.

The Labor leader had initially been widely praised for her handling of Covid-19 around the world, with many defending the country’s strong lockdown approach and success against the virus.

But columnists from international media agencies have voiced their opinion ahead of the election, with many singing a different tune than the one that saw Ardern become a global cult figure.

“Ardern has done three positive things. He has just eradicated Covid-19. He has navigated the politics of the virus so well that he is on the brink of electoral triumph. And he responded with moral clarity and decency to the Christchurch massacre.”

“Yet she has still been a poor prime minister, chosen almost by accident according to the Byzantine protocols of her country’s eccentric electoral system, although she won far fewer votes than the national government she replaced,” wrote Greg Sheridan of The Australian.

“No international halo is as pitiful or fraudulent as that worn by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Politically he resembles Dan Andrews. They stand out in the gesture of awakening and progressive symbolism. His achievements in real political terms are few or negative.

“It goes without saying that her achievements should never be diminished by her gender or age; she was only 37 when she became Prime Minister. But certainly part of international Jacindamania comes from the fact that she is a young leftist who gave I was born in office and took maternity leave. All of that is wonderful, but it has nothing to do with achieving policy.

“Even in the case of Covid-19, the Ardern government has done much less than it seems and at a much higher cost than what other countries have paid. There are other countries whose governments have even better records of eradicating Covid- 19. And they are? Fiji with 32 cases, Solomon Islands with two cases, and Vanuatu with none. Their leaders are not global media sensations, but they got those numbers for the same reasons as New Zealand. They are isolated island nations. Auckland, with just over a million inhabitants, it is one of the most isolated cities of its size.

“Before Covid-19, Ardern lagged behind in polls. His list of unfulfilled electoral promises is staggering: 100,000 affordable homes promised, 600 built; homelessness to be eradicated increased; zero carbon emissions by 2050 , emissions increased; reducing the number of children poverty, increased; emphasis on regional public service, more civil servants based in Wellington than before; light rail from Auckland airport to the CBD, abandoned. But then came the virus and she could make her high priestess of the religion of awakening, day after day day.

“Validated by a failing international media, unchallenged by lukewarm and under-resourced local media, it has sold the narrative that its government has saved New Zealand. With the departure of Peters and the more influential Greens, it will move to the left. in his second term, heralding a lost decade for our beloved cousins ​​on the other side of the ditch. One consolation: the best of them will come here. “

Peter Hartcher of the Sydney Morning Herald highlighted Ardern’s failures on housing, tax reform and poverty.

“He came to power with the promise of solving real-world problems. A distinctive promise, housing affordability, has become a sign of failure. New Zealand home prices are among the least affordable in the world in compared to income. they are further out of reach than London or New York compared to median income, according to the 2019 annual demographic survey, “he wrote.

“Labor proposed a government program called KiwiBuild to build 100,000 new affordable homes over 10 years to help low- and middle-income people buy their first homes. Ardern dropped the plan after two years in office. He was not building homes. fast enough. In the first 18 months, 141 were completed, against a target of 1000, and those that were built were often unwanted. The minister in charge was removed, the government announced NZ $ 5 billion to build 8000 homes in five years.

“Another measure proposed to help with housing affordability was a capital gains tax (CGT) on real estate, designed to curb speculation and rampant price rises. Like Australia and many other countries, already they impose it. First he delayed and then rejected the proposal “While I have believed in a CGT, it is clear that many New Zealanders do not. That’s why I’m also ruling out a capital gains tax under my leadership going forward, “he said last year. Although, as he said,” I think it would have made a difference. “

“‘The government has done virtually nothing about tax reform,” says Arthur Grimes, former president of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. “The previous government didn’t do much either. This government and the previous one [National Party] the government is similar: they try to do something, then they don’t.

“This is very short-term thinking. The long-term fiscal position is not sustainable; it will not be feasible to tax income heavily. People with money are increasingly changing income and residency around the world. We need further reform. fiscal.'”

“Ardern has said that her initial impulse to pursue politics was to help lift children out of poverty. As prime minister, she took responsibility for the portfolio herself. How is it going? She inherited a country in which one in six children live in poverty. -Covid, at least, seemed to have improved to one in eight, mainly due to a series of measures his government took to raise incomes at the low end: raising the minimum wage to NZ $ 15 25 per hour to NZ $ 17.70, then to NZ $ 18.90 in April, expanding paid parental leave and creating the Best Start pay of NZ $ 60 per week for each newborn’s first year of life .

“And, until Covid hit, these same measures will have also narrowed the overall gap between rich and poor.”

The BBC’s Shaimaa Khalil also spoke of poverty under Ardern’s leadership, compared to his unquestionable charisma.

“Throughout her stormy first term as New Zealand’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern has maintained a message of kindness. But as she seeks another term in power, critics say it will take more than kindness and charisma to put the economy on hold. foot and improve tens of thousands of people lifted out of poverty, “he wrote.

“Jacinda Ardern has captured the world’s imagination and has been widely praised for her strong and compassionate leadership as she led the country through turbulent times, including a terrorist attack in Christchurch, a natural disaster when the White Island, or Whakaari, volcano erupted and a pandemic.

“But critics say his government has failed to address child poverty, one of its key promises when it came to power in 2017.

“According to the Child Poverty Reduction Act, Stats NZ must report annually on nine different measures for child poverty. Material hardship is one of the most important measures which includes not eating fresh fruits and vegetables, postponing a visit to the doctor or not being able to pay bills on time.

“From June 2018 to June 2019 there were no significant changes in the percentage of children living in material difficulties, compared to the previous year. The figure remains at around 13 percent, that is, 151,700 or one of each eight of the New Zealand children.

“Poverty is remarkably high in Maori and peaceful households, with nearly 1 in 4 (23.3%) of Maori children and nearly 1 in 3 (28.6%) of Pacific children living in material hardship. .

“These are sobering numbers and in many ways clash with New Zealand’s overall picture of prosperity and overall stability.

“‘European / White New Zealanders have a very different life experience than our peaceful or Maori citizens,'” says UNICEF NZ Executive Director Vivien Maidaborn.

“The situation has been aggravated by the pandemic and the subsequent blockade.

“Ms. Maidaborn praised the government’s response to Covid-19, but said it did little to ease the pressure on poor families.

“‘Welfare-level subsidies have been quite business-focused. What we may have done is reinforce the inequality between people who are already struggling and people who have wealth or assets, but are now cash-flowed. fighting, ‘”he said. He said.