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12 SEPTEMBER 1, 2020 Viewlink The English Fortnightly (Since November 1999) ISSUE 445 | SEPTEMBER 1, 2020 Sentencing of terrorist ends a tragic chapter In sending terrorist Brenton Tarrant to jail for life without parole, New Zealand created for itself legal history and delivered justice, not just to the victims of the tragedy or the Muslim community, but to the entire population of the country. The 29-year-old Australian terrorist, who received the verdict at the Christchurch High Court on Thursday, August 27, 2020, pleaded guilty to the 51 charges of murder, 40 charges of attempted murder and one charge of terrorism. That was the ‘harshest sentence’ served in New Zealand because the murderer will not have the right to apply for parole during his life. Hard to fight tears It also brought some solace to the grieving families which lost their husbands, brothers, sons, daughters, children and other relatives as the terrorist mercilessly shot them while they were at their Friday prayers on March 15, 2019. Many of us who have seen the horrors of war during our journalistic career could not hide our tears as we heard the Victims Impact Statement over three days in the Court. No one, least of all, a peace-loving and law-abiding community, deserved such a terrorist act. As Paul Spoonley, Distinguished Professor at Massey University in Auckland said, “Anything less (of the Sentencing) would have been a disappointment to most New Zealanders. Ever since, we have been looking for a degree of resolution.” We are a tolerant society, home to more than 200 ethnicities speaking 160 languages and there has never been any sign of intended harm; we may have occasionally felt a tinge of racism here and there, but never to a scale that would lead to massacre. Communities come together The incident took away the innocence to which New Zealand was once famous. It has also brought us all closer together. We have begun to speak, in one tone, that there should be no room for such terrorists on our soil. We believe that diversity enriches and should not divide us. Equally, it is a time to assert zero tolerance for racism. When people abuse, demean and ridicule Muslims or any other faith or ethnicity, we cannot be passive observers on the side lines. We must work to dis-spell misinformation In her article appearing in this issue’s Electionlink, New Zealand journalist Ximena Smith has underscored the need for a comprehensive, nationwide media literacy strategy to combat misinformation. She said that even a discussion on the subject is absent in New Zealand thus far. “The concept of media literacy is one that has largely disappeared from New Zealand’s policy agenda, with the last significant government publication on it being written by the Broadcasting Standards Authority in 2007,” she said in the article. Politics out of pandemic While mischief-mongers social media activists are the largest contributors of fake news and misinformation, politicians have joined the bandwagon in recent months. In their desire to win in the ensuing general election (October 17, 2020), they seem to dig political capital out of every situation- the worst of all the current pandemic. As the Economist observed, it is particularly abundant and influential on the web, since it is less expensive and easier to reach people, and artificial intelligence methods like Deepfake make it simpler to doctor video and audio. Manipulation and deception have always been a part of politics. Regulatory framework needed “This is not a time when an ambitious politician will want to take a back seat, let alone be secluded in full quarantine and bed rest. Public service, after all, can have no nobler aim than to lead at a time of such menace. And, as the pandemic spreads, the number of capable stand-ins well enough to take over may dwindle. More cynically, who would want to give a deputy the chance to outshine the boss?” asked the Economist. To prevent targeted attacks and defamation campaigns against the most vulnerable, we must create regulations and policies that protect minority classes from online manipulation. New laws should make it more clearly illegal for social media firms to sell advertisements that target these groups with politically charged misinformation or disinformation. Mainstream social media platforms should provide safe spaces online for these groups and facilitate their day-to-day use by protecting and moderating them. Indian Newslink is published by Indian Newslink Limited from its offices located at 299A Riddel Road, Glendowie, Auckland 1071. All material appearing here and on our web editions are the copyright of Indian Newslink and reproduction in full or part in any medium is prohibited. Indian Newslink and its management and staff do not accept any responsibility for the claims made in advertisements. Managing Director & Publisher: Jacob Mannothra; Editor & General Manager: Venkat Raman; Production Manager: Mahes Perera; Accountant: Uma Venkatram CA; Phone: (09) 5336377 Email: info@indiannewslink.co.nz Websites: www.indiannewslink.co.nz; www.inliba.com; www.inlisa.com UAE deal is a symbolic win for Benjamin Netanyahu (EPA Picture by Abir Sultan) Israel hugs United Arab Emirates as the rest shrug Simon Mabon Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have signed a historic agreement which makes the Emirates only the third Arab state to recognise Israel after Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994. As part of the deal, dubbed the ‘Abraham Accord,’ Israel has suspended highly controversial plans to annex the West Bank. But it has been viewed as a treacherous betrayal by many Palestinians. For Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the normalisation of diplomatic ties between the two countries is hugely symbolic, leaving him as one of only three Israeli leaders to have brokered a peace agreement with an Arab state. Since the deal was signed on August 13, a flurry of activity has already taken place, both building on existing ties as well as opening up new economic opportunities heralded by many in Israel and the Emirates. Geopolitical Earthquake But though some have described the accord as a “geopolitical earthquake,” the reality is that it changes very little. Despite Palestinian anger, the Emirati decision to sign the accord has been met with a collective shrug from most states in the region, perhaps reflecting the shifting sands of regional security in recent years. Some Arab states may even be pleased at the deal, and Israel’s withdrawal of its threat to annex the West Bank. This apathy is not surprising. In late 2017, the Trump administration recognised Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel. In previous years, this would have prompted widespread protest and strong rebukes from leaders in the region, yet there was little by way of criticism. Looking back, it is clear why the Trump administration, particularly the President’s son-in-law and aide Jared Kushner, portrayed the recognition of Jerusalem as a symbolic step in their Palestinians burn photos of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who they have dubbed a ‘traitor.’ (EPA Photo by Alaa Badarneh broader efforts to cultivate a realignment in the Middle East, in which Israel and the UAE have increasingly found themselves on the same side. Common enemy Clandestine relations between Israel, the UAE and Gulf Arab states have existed for decades – driven by shared security concerns about Iran. But in recent years an informal normalisation between Israel and these states has also taken place through cultural, political and economic exchanges – perhaps most visibly in an Israeli invitation to the 2020 Dubai Expo. Although relations had improved from the 1990s, they picked up pace with the emergence of Iran as a common enemy. The rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran has been at the forefront of regional politics since the 1979 Iranian revolution. Although the two countries experienced an apparent period of rapprochement in the decade before the US-led War on Terror, the toppling of Saddam Hussein in Iraq opened up a new front in their rivalry. After the US-led invasion of Iraq, Iranian actions in the region became increasingly belligerent, much to the chagrin of Gulf Arab leaders and their Israeli counterparts. During the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad between 2005-13, rhetoric from Gulf rulers often matched that of Israel in calls for strikes against Iran. Realpolitik Issues Israel fought a war with an Arab group, Hezbollah, as recently as 2006, and continues to exert control over Palestinian territory. But the shift brought by the formalisation of ties between the UAE and Israel has sacrificed some Palestinian grievances on the altar of realpolitik. Alliances have long been burgeoning between the Gulf monarchies and Israel. The WikiLeaks cables revealed that in 2006, King Hamad of Bahrain spoke of the need for “real peace” with Israel so “we can all face Iran”. The new Israel-UAE agreement will do little to change Wage Subsidy does not go far enough The hospitality and retail sectors are calling for more targeted aid to help them survive a second lockdown. Hospitality NZ and Retail NZ both welcomed the announcement of the third extension of the wage subsidy scheme across New Zealand amid the decision to prolong the Covid-19 alert level changes. Right decision Hospitality New Zealand Chief Operating Officer Julie White said it was the right decision and took into account the importance of the Auckland market to the whole country. She said Queenstown was particularly vulnerable. Auckland Mayor Phil Goff, who also welcomed the extension, acknowledged the impact that the City and its people had on the whole country. “Queenstown is full of Aucklanders, or was full of Aucklanders, over the last few weeks and it will hammer them,” he said. However, Ms White said that the scheme fell short of providing long-term security to business owners who had lost all their income, such as those in hospitality. “They have fallen short, we will need to step up and recognise the impact on the income to hospitality; so, we will be touching base and asking them to re-look at a sector-specific package,” she said. Sharp decline in retailing Retail NZ Chief Executive Greg Hospitality New Zealand Chief Operating Officer Julie White (Website Photo) Hadford said that the retail economy was forecast to suffer a 40% hit over the lockdown period. He said that most retail businesses would struggle without government support. “We will see a massive reduction in retail spending nationwide over the next 12 days. Retail businesses typically operate on very low margins, and are critically reliant on cashflow coming in the door,” he said. Cafe owner Roz Cattell, who is on the board of The NZ Specialty Coffee Association, said that they were anxious while waiting for the news about whether the lockdown would be extended. Heart of the City Chief Executive Viv Beck told Kim Hill that it was not going to be easy for the hospitality sector to get through this. “I think overall it is probably a little bit better than some had speculated, but I think for us it recognises the impact on the variety of businesses. We are the construction of this alliance against Iran, but it could open up broader intra-Sunni rivalries in the region, most notably with Turkey. Ankara has begun to play a more assertive role in regional politics and is increasingly positioning itself on the other side of issues to Israel and the UAE, notably in Libya. No expectations for Saudi Arabia Many expect Bahrain, Morocco and Oman to follow the Emirati lead but do not expect Saudi Arabia follow suit quite yet. This is despite claims by Kushner that it would be “very good” for Saudi Arabia to normalise relations with Israel. Unlike the UAE, the Saudi state derives a great deal of its legitimacy from being the protectors of Muslims across the world. The Palestinian cause has occupied a central, if superficial, role in the kingdom’s regional activity since before the establishment of the state of Israel. This has not stopped Saudi Arabia from engaging with Israel in a clandestine manner, but broader engagement will not be forthcoming until there is a peace accord with the Palestinians. Tensions in the region This points to perhaps the most serious tension across the region, between rulers and ruled. While rulers may be open to formal relations with Israel, there remains a widespread perception among people in the region that it is Israel, and not Iran, which poses the greater threat to regional security. The Coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated existing political, social and economic pressures across the Middle East. With these tensions straining relations between rulers and ruled, it is likely that many rulers will be cautious about following the Emirati lead, out of fear that it may provoke unrest at home. Simon Mabon is Professor of International Relations at Lancaster University based in Lancashire, England. The above article and pictures have been published under Creative Commons Licence. working through that now and seeing how we can assist as much as we can. But I think it is a bit of a perfect storm for us in the City centre and we are going to do everything we can to at least make sure people are familiar with the click and collect services,” he said. Clarity needed Mr Beck said that it was good to at least have clarity on the timeframe of the lockdown and for the wage subsidy to be extended, but the impact would be “massive” if the lockdown was extended. “I do feel for the people in the City, because a lot of my hospitality friends, they are hurting. It is a hard road for a lot of people out there,” he said. Earlier, Julie White of Hospitality NZ spoke about the initial lockdown on August 12, 2020, saying that the uncertainty of when Auckland businesses could reopen would result in a huge loss of working capital. “Bars will have to pour their kegs down the drain and restaurants will be working out what fresh produce can be saved - it’s not as simple as turning the lights off and locking the doors,” she said. While Level 2 restrictions were also limiting for key hospitality operators, they came with additional staffing costs as well as potentially reduced income, Ms White said. Published under a Special Agreement with www.rnz.co.nz
SEPTEMBER 1, 2020 Epidemiologists suggest new Pandemic Plan Ben Strang Epidemiologists say that New Zealand needs a new, more generic Pandemic Plan which caters to worst-case scenarios. The Ministry of Health national Pandemic Plan did not properly account for a non-influenza outbreak, and was not fit for purpose, according to experts. The Ministry first drafted a Pandemic Plan in 2004, called the ‘National Health Emergency Plan: Infectious Diseases.’ An Advisory Group that helped form the Pandemic Plan did not feature any epidemiologists. The Plan was tailored to an influenza pandemic, because officials said that was the most likely pandemic to hit. SARS had struck just one year earlier, a coronavirus pandemic that killed 774 people globally, but was not very contagious. Since then, the Plan has only been tweaked, and in depth planning for a response to other diseases has not happened. Two major issues Professor Nick Wilson, who works in public health with the University of Otago, said that there were two major issues with the current Plan. One, it made assumptions about vaccines that do not fit other diseases, Covid-19 testing at Eden Park (AFP Photo) and two, it did not properly consider what is needed at the border if a deadly disease hits. The Plan assumed that a vaccine will be available within about six months, which Wilson said was a major flaw. In turn, the whole plan appeared set out for little more than a six-month period. But the bigger issue was how it approaches the border, he said. “In the extreme situation, you need the capacity to actually block New Zealanders from coming home for some time so that you can maintain protection of the country. It is just not feasible if there was a terrible bioweapon in one Job opportunities for disadvantaged New Zealand imperative Saunoamaali’i Karanina Sumeo The ongoing impact of Covid-19 on Kiwis’ wages revealed by the latest labour market survey are a grave concern. Labour market statistics for the June quarter revealed that median incomes falling for the first time since records began in 1998, with Kiwis’ take home pay down 7.6% to $652 a week. The income measure captures income from wages and salaries, government benefits such as superannuation and Jobseeker Support, and self-employment. Downward trend worries These figures confirm what we already know: many workers from lower-income industries are reporting lower earnings, working fewer hours, or are out of work completely. The data reveals that 76,300 people have been away from their jobs due to Covid-19. It is our women, youth, Māori, Pacific, self-employed and disabled workers who are undoubtedly the worst affected. I am concerned with the persistent growth in the underutilisation rates which rose to 12.0% part of the world to say New Zealanders must all come home, and you have to deal with up to a million people wanting to return. We just have to have the mechanism to have complete border closure until we assess the situation and gain control,” Mr Wilson said. Reality of bioweapon While a bioweapon may sound like science fiction, it was a very real and growing possibility, be it a deliberate act, or through accidental release from a laboratory, he said. Mr Wilson warned that smallpox would be a potentially devastating pandemic, far worse than coronavirus or influenza. this quarter. These are our people who want to work. They are potential jobseekers, mums and dads working part-time that want their hours increased, young people out of tertiary institutions, and disabled and older workers who are waiting on opportunities to enter the job market. We are actively leaving them behind. We need to accept that Covid-19 has changed the way we work. Relying simply on job growth is not going to shift the imbalance and inequalities that the pandemic has worsened. Innovative measures needed Government and employers must get creative and innovative to ensure our vulnerable workers don’t fall through the cracks. I call on the government to introduce targets for job opportunities for those most disadvantaged in its duty to ensure everyone has a decent standard of living, decent work, and freedom from discrimination. We really need to see an alignment between public investment, apprenticeships, tertiary education, and the job need to ensure there is inclusive economic recovery from Covid-19. otherwise we will continue to leave our vulnerable workers behind. Saunoamaali’i Karanina Sumeo is Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner. The above was sent to us as a Media Release. Professor Nick Wilson (RNZ Insight Photo by John Gerritsen) Another epidemiologist, Dr Jennifer Summers from the University of Otago and King’s College London, said that the plan New Zealand had was not designed for anything other than the flu. “There are definitely lessons to be learnt from Covid-19 in terms of New Zealand’s preparations for ongoing outbreaks of Covid-19 and for future disease outbreaks. One of those lessons is that we need a generic Pandemic Plan,” she said. Opportunity to learn Dr Summers said that New Zealand has the opportunity to learn from recent pandemics other than influenza (such as the SARS pandemic in 2003, along Resene DIY Card Special! Come in and see us today at your local Resene ColorShop! Businesslink Exit of Watercare Chief Executive should have flow-on effect Thakur Ranjit Singh As a senior alumni of former National Minister Steven Joyce at Massey University, and an MBA postgraduate student at Palmerston North campus in 1982, I consider myself more than qualified to comment on the governance issue of Auckland Council, dubious events at Watercare and questions on fiduciary duties of its Board. As somebody who sat on boards of a Bank, Suva City Council and a Media organisation in Fiji, among others. I consider myself more than qualified to comment on this issue. With my past trade, commerce, industry and real-life experience, I was saddened to see fellow Fijian, Chief Executive of Watercare Raveen Jaduram made a fall guy of a dysfunctional organisation, a questionable Board and support leadership from Auckland Council. From the thick smoke emitting from Watercare crisis, the only light seems to be coming from a brave and conscientious Councillor who seem to have conscience and guts to say that the emperor has no clothes on. Councillor Daniel Newman, who had worked at the Watercare praised Mr Jaduram for a grand job he had done in the past. While the fall guy was primarily Raveen Jaduram targeted for his huge salary, however the Mayor, Council Chief Executive and the Board of Watercare are equally to blame for planning failures. Ultimately, Watercare Chief Executive is not accountable; the ball stops at the Mayor of Auckland and the Chair of the Board. Pertinent questions As a migrant from Fiji who attended university in New Zealand in 1980s, I was perturbed at the lack of any academic teachings of my time in the current management of Auckland Council. Have good management theories of yesteryears gone obsolete now? Are overpaid and highly qualified officials and board members at Auckland Council and Watercare so blatantly clueless, incompetent and ignorant about good management practices in strategic management, forward planning and good perceptive governance? Boards in Fiji required visionary short-term (current year) mid-term (five years) and long-term (ten years) plans with proper brainstorming and assessment of exhaustive environmental factors. Among others, this included SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) for strategic planning. The fact that the big brains in Auckland’s main city failed these basics in management shames their universities and business schools for having alumni with questionable qualifications and aptitude for the respective positions. This applies to the Mayor, the Chairwoman and board members of Watercare and former Chief Executive of Auckland Council who all revealed very wanting management and leadership skills and aptitude in letting down Watercare. Appalling and disgraceful What is further disgraceful and appalling is the manner in which poor Kiwi Fiji Indian was thrown in front of a bus by the people who all deserved to go under the same bus. The career and professional Chairwoman Margaret Devlin and her Board owed a fiduciary duty of care to safeguard interests of Auckland ratepayers. Together with the Mayor and (former) Chief Executive of Auckland Council, they all failed us. Were they sleeping on the job while Auckland drowned in a drought? I suggest that the Chamber of Commerce, the Institute of Directors or the relevant organisation to audit the action, or lack of it, of the Board of Watercare, and its dereliction of its fiduciary duties. And business schools in Universities need to use this debacle at Watercare as a case study on how not to run such a crucial organisation. In fact Councillor Newman very aptly described the Watercare Board: The board has been as active as an Easter Island statue. There has been a complete absence of energy and it’s been left to the governing body of council to work with senior management within Watercare to fill the gap Did the Board and Auckland Council ask and seek the right and prudent questions and answers? Newman has also questioned the suitability of this Hamilton-based professional Board Chair who he claims had no interest in Auckland and sits on many other boards outside Auckland. Multiple roles New Zealand Herald reported in its August 19, 2020 issue that Ms Devlin is paid $108,000 when the median of similar Chair of Director’s fee is or shop online at shop.resene.co.nz Discounts off the normal retail price from 12 August – 7 September 2020. Valid only with cash/credit card/EFTPOS purchases and Resene DIY Card. Not available in conjunction with account sales, promotional vouchers/coupons or other offers. Excludes trade, ECS and Crown products and PaintWise levy. Sign up for a free Resene DIY Card at your Resene ColorShop or participating reseller. Offer applies to 10 litre Resene premium paints, primers/sealers, wood stains and 60-80ml testpots only. 13 with Covid-19), to prepare better New Zealanders for future pandemics. “Having a national Pandemic Plan currently based on just influenza is a weak point in New Zealand’s Pandemic Planning, which impacted our initial response to Covid-19 and this now needs to be addressed,” she said. New Zealand is not the only country that was solely focused on influenza. The United States also drafted a new Pandemic Plan after the SARS outbreak, which largely ignored SARS and diseases that were not influenza. It is a familiar story across the globe. The Taiwan example A country that did learn from SARS was Taiwan. Taiwan had almost 84 deaths from almost 700 cases of SARS, which was very difficult to transmit. Fast forward 18 years and a far more infectious coronavirus has hit, but Taiwan has had less than 500 cases and only 7 deaths among a population of almost 24 million. They have been touted as a world leading example of pandemic preparedness. Ben Strang is a Reporter at Radio New Zealand. The above Report and Picture have been published under a Special Arrangement with www.rnz.co.nz $60,000. It also reported that this professional Board Chair is also involved with some other ten or so organisations: As well as chairing Watercare, Ms Devlin is a director of Waikato Regional Airport, MetService, IT Partners Group, Aurora Energy, independent chairwoman of Waikato District Council’s Audit and Risk Committee, Chairwoman of Women in Infrastructure Network Advisory Board, Councillor at Waikato University, Deputy Chairwoman of Wintec, Chairwoman of Lyttelton Port Company, Director of Infrastructure New Zealand and Chairwoman of Hospice Waikato. Last month, the Tasman District Council appointed her to the board of Waimea Water. Perhaps ratepayers of Auckland City need to ask the mayor how could a person involved with so many organisations with so many diverse interests be depended on to look after such a major City portfolio? And how could she do justice to this highly paid directorship with so many roles away from Auckland? New Board for Watercare Aucklanders would be justified to seek immediate removal of the whole Watercare Board which could not now be trusted to provide prudent direction to the incoming Chief Executive. They already failed us miserably. In other civilised City Councils, the poor-performing Chairperson and the Board, with the Chief Executive and the Mayor of Council would have lost their jobs. Unfortunately, in a wanting culture at Auckland Council, a lesser Chief Executive is made the fall guy of an organisation where the overseers were all sleeping on the job while the dams ran dry. Thakur Ranjit Singh is a media commentator, a journalist and community worker. He runs his blog, Fiji Pundit.’ Email: thakurji@xtra.co.nz. The above article reflects the personal views of the author.
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