Surviving the political State of Origin.

State parochialism use to dictate who we backed in the State of Origin, or Sheffield Shield, however as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our lives, it is fast becoming the influencing factor in how we want governments to manage the health and economic impacts of the coronavirus.?

Findings from Essential Research show a divide greater than the Great Australian Bight, in Western Australia, where the impacts of lockdown are a distant memory, 67% of respondents said states with low or no COVID-19 cases should be allowed to keep their borders to other states closed for as long as they think is necessary.?

This figure drops to 28% in New South Wales, and 31% in Victoria, two states who have collectively faced over a year of lockdowns and harsh restrictions in the name of physical health.?

So what does this mean for a nation that is looking to ‘emerge from the cave’ and embrace a post-COVID normal??

It demonstrates that we are no longer being guided by medical evidence, even when balanced and considered within the greater good – we’re having our perceptions on how to manage this pandemic skewed by political posturing, self-interest, and rhetoric.?

It is a dangerous environment to find ourselves in, and is increasingly looking like it will lead to a fractured nations, where the conditions of ‘freedom’, also known as rights, are dictated to by your state, and not by your health or vaccination status.?

Governments around the nation have granted themselves an unprecedented level of autonomy and authority, free from the regular checks and balances afforded by parliament and our democratic system.?

Little scrutineer has been placed on these new powers, and very little scientific evidence has been made available to justify lockdowns that have crippled businesses, denied access to family, friends and loved ones, and kept our kids home from school.?

Only now, 18 months into this pandemic, are we collectively considering the mental health impacts of the pandemic, which have until now, been conveniently carved out of the ‘public health’ response.?

Yet to be seen is how substantial time out of the classroom and away from peers is going to impact the next generation of Australians.?

Again, no evidence has been presented to counter the basic assertion that COVID zero was to be realised through these measures.?

Perhaps more concerning is the way governments have granted themselves additional powers, often by instrument and not by legislation. Remarkable is the differing public reaction, when say compared to the post September 11 terrorism laws that sought to strengthen national security and keep our citizens safe from extremists and terrorists.?

How can we break this cycle, and restore balance to the decision making??

We are fast approaching a tipping point, whereby we will genuinely question the value of sustained lockdowns and restrictions.?

Governments have used our fundamental rights as a ‘carrot’, with very little ‘stick’.?

The good are being punished – and those who aren’t acting in the public interest escaping any consequences.?

The truth is, public perception, and reaction to the pandemic has been shaped and informed over 18 months, and it will be hard to interrupt.?

Some political leaders are unashamedly turning political decision making in relation to a global pandemic against ordinary Aussies.?

The language is loose, inappropriate and at times offensive.

New South Wales has quickly found itself the target of the nation’s scorn, and individuals are being egged on by political leaders motivated by approval ratings and electoral results – it is a disgraceful place for our nation to find itself.?

We have not banded together to survive the lockdown, instead we have turned on each other, in ways more vitriolic and damaging that ever would be found at a sports arena.?

And our politicians, in large part, are the cheerleaders.?

“Sending the virus back to NSW”, “NSW is responsible and to blame” and “they’ll regret their decision” are statements not worthy of the most biased opinion pieces published by our media outlets, let alone elected leaders.?

Where is the collective outrage that was displayed when Asian-Australians found themselves victims of racist taunts during the early stages of this pandemic? Or the media’s crocodile tears over Trump’s calls of the “China virus”?

Nowhere to be found…?

The national roadmap is fast resembling snakes and ladders, where hard-working aspiring Australians are left to do the heavy lifting while politicians play the role of… you know where this is going.?

It’s high time we remember that above all else we are Australian – a nation built on the proud and rich heritage of 65,000 of Indigenous culture and knowledge; British settlement and enriched through generations of immigrants that have travelled the seas to build a new home.?

We are nation born without civil war (not to discount or dismiss the frontier wars), born with freedoms that were granted without the spilling of blood – this is what we should be remembering.?

And those who are making decisions should stop praying on fear – stop with the divisive language – and start governing for the common good.?