HDPA on angry Auckland

HDPA writes:

It’s been fascinating to watch the reaction to Sir John Key involving himself in the political debate around our Covid response. 

One of the more interesting hot takes was that John Key isn’t reading the room right, which is to say he’s not in step with public opinion.  

Isn’t he?  

Feels to me like he’s absolutely reading the room right when it comes to Auckland.  

I gather this might be news to Wellington, but Auckland is angry. Auckland is over this lockdown.    

Compliance is way down. The streets are busy. People are breaking bubbles outside cafes.  More than thirty people played a game of touch in mt roskill.  We’ve had reports of people having parties at their houses.  And that’s just what ends up in the papers.  

I really feel like the mood is changing.  John Key is only the latest high-profile kiwi to have a crack at the way the Covid response is being run.  Rob Fyfe did, Sir Ian Taylor did, Don Braid of Mainfreight did, 90% of the columnists in yesterday’s papers did.  This wasn’t happening six months ago.  

The polls are shifting in opinion.  Remember that Herald poll showing support for elimination?  Well, only 46% of people wanted to keep endlessly eliminating.  A bigger number, 52% wanted us to drop elimination now or drop it after we got to 70% vaccination rate.  

This weekend, Research NZ put out a poll showing 70% support for lockdowns.  But look closer. Two thirds of those people said they only support lockdowns until we get vaccinated.    

Which is my position. Lockdowns must be a temporary tool that is phased out.