Crickets

Back when NZ had a major city leveled by and earthquake, No Right Turn cried foul when the government declared a national emergency.

The question we should all be asking is whether this is really necessary. No insult to current inhabitants of my former city, who obviously want everything possible to be done, but a severe but local earthquake in Christchurch does not justify a power of arbitrary arrest in Whanganui. Neither does it justify a power to close public spaces in Invercargill. A local state of emergency allows everything that is necessary to be done. Why take it national?

I can think of some very cynical reasons for this. Primarily, it tells everyone that the government is doing something – and in particular, it tells everyone that John Key is doing something.

So, being a man of principle, you’d think he’d be very upset at the Prime Minister’s declaration that she’d use her COVID powers after the covid emergency is over.

Well, the title says it all. But I guess it’s only been 24 hours so far, there’s still time.

NB: the date on the “this government is going to arrest opponents in Invercargill” post is 23/2/2011 12:37:00 PM, just under 24 hours after the quake.

Update: Silly me. I didn’t read closely enough. There’s literally a post where he soft-pedals the government calling the current protests in Wellington a National Security issue. I guess principles are out of fashion this season.