Consistent Inconsistency
The COVID-19 pandemic has left us with one certainty: the only consistency is inconsistency.
The burden or protection of bureaucratic processes, depending on your view, seems to grow each year. From an endless paper trail to the seemingly unreasonable requirements of online forms that ask for attachments, pose clarifying questions, and request additional information, not a day goes by where our lives do not feel more complicated.
Often, the regulatory burden is there to protect us from ourselves. To prevent us providing incorrect information, or stop an unfair decision, or stymie online scammers from hacking our accounts.
Some refer to these processes as red tape; a ubiquitous term that is easy to say yet far harder to define.
Further, over-bureaucratic processes are often viewed as an impediment to business growth and progress; an additional cost that makes little difference to the outcome.
Promoters of process accuse developers and investors of riding roughshod while those who decry red tape speak of the stop anything brigade
To be honest, the truth lies somewhere in between.
Process is important. For accountability, transparency, and confidence, people empowered to make decisions in our governments or sporting clubs, or community groups must follow a process that allows them to act lawfully or feel “comfortable” in making the call.
Let us try and think logically about this conundrum.
Parliament sets the laws and, along with our good conscience, these laws guide our behaviour. All levels of government then implement regulations to make the intention of the laws clearer.
Processes and procedures and forms and checklists are created as a result.
Additionally, the laws of a school association or board, club, or community group is its constitution, a “Bible” for governance.
With effective laws and regulations and constitutions in place, it should be simple… Yeah right…
And then, to complicate matters further, Coronavirus hit and the rule book was thrown out.
Only children of essential workers can go to school. No, children can go to school if their parents have a job.
Some public servants must go to work yet others can work from home if it suits them and their employer.
Educators must continue to distance from each other, but students need not distance from themselves nor adults.
The National Parks and reserves are closed but the Cataract Gorge remains open.
The borders are open to “safe travel bubbles”, the borders are closed until December.
The café is open because the staff are on JobKeeper, the café is closed, and the staff are on JobKeeper.
You must sit to have a drink unless you are a politician at an official opening where you can stand and mix and mingle.
You must remain 1.5 metres apart unless you are posing for an official photo. Can we dance?
The examples are endless. And It would be humorous if not so serious.
Of course, we are reasonable people. We expect so much of our political leaders but will cut them slack when faced with a global pandemic that no one expected, and for which no one has a vaccination to stop its spread.
Twenty-twenty is akin to wartime where we ask leaders to bring us together, to help them fight the good fight. From bushfires at the start of the year to a health pandemic and subsequent global recession, it is difficult to recall a time where references to British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill and Australian Prime Minister, John Curtin, have been more prevalent. But it makes sense.
In a crisis we need a familiar face to reassure us that everything will be ok. To look us in the eye and, with compassion, tell us what we don’t want to hear.
Several premiers including Tasmania’s, Peter Gutwein and Western Australia’s Mark McGowan have ridden a wave of popularity, which is unfortunate due to the circumstances, but not unexpected because we look to our leaders in times of crisis and more often than not, they step up!
Alas, there will be another difficult task facing our leaders until a vaccination is found or we learn to live with Coronavirus.
The economy is on life-support. We are facing the worst recession since World War II with unemployment sure to peak as government subsidies are reduced or abolished.
The challenge for leaders will be to look people in the eye and explain the way forward with an authentic and genuine recovery plan. It can’t be too full of detail because of uncertain times nor can it be so devoid of detail that it irks punters with over-bureaucratic words and phrases and generalisations that simply fill the gaps.
The challenge is real, and the true sign of a leader will be one who can achieve this almost impossible task with the least mistakes or broken promises.
Please enjoy your Sunday. If you can, find time to relax. We have been through a lot together.
And for those who have read this far, I am quite sure the rationale underpinning this column has been spectacularly inconsistent.