The Small Country Of New Zealand; A World Leader In Many Areas
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Old white guys, take heed.
I am an old white guy who grew up in New Zealand. Although I have lived in Canada for the past 50 years, I still retain family connections with my country of birth.
Unlike many of my peers, I am a huge supporter of any movement that elevates smart young women of any color, creed, or sexual orientation to leadership roles around the world. I personally have had enough of the Vladimir Putin’s, the Donald Trump’s and the Xi Jingping’s of the world.
A leader like New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Arden, love her or not, is a breath of fresh air.
Recent events there have bought New Zealand and the PM to the forefront of world news, mainly in her efforts in mitigating the effects of the Covid pandemic around the country. Currently, they are experiencing 2–3 infections a day, these mainly arising from New Zealanders returning from overseas. The NZ government has instituted a stiff quarantine system for returning residents. It has sequestered a number of hotels throughout the country where returnees are held for 14 days in strict isolation. The New Zealand government also instituted an across the board lockdown of the country in the early days of the pandemic. This effectively reduced the spread of Covid 19.
As a result, there is now a high degree of everyday normality for New Zealanders. There are no restrictions on attendance at sporting events, movie theatres, pubs, and restaurants, and other popular venues. Facemasks are still required for public transport, hospitals, and other public services. There are no tourist flights into the country but for the most part, the population is living a life that is the envy of many countries around the world.
Jacinda Arden has also been lauded for her leadership in the handling of the terrorist shooting in Christchurch where 51 people at two mosques were murdered. As well as refusing to state the terrorist’s name in any news conference, the PM speedily bought in legislation banning the ownership of semi-automatic rifles. She also instituted a gun buy-back program…
