If you go to your medicine cabinet or the box in the pantry where you keep all your medicines and plasters and things, do you honestly think you won’t find anything in there that’s passed its use-by date?

Be honest.

And ok, if there’s nothing in your medicine cabinet or medical kit that isn’t out of date, chances are that’s because you’re one of those people who doesn’t keep anything that’s past the use-by date.

You’re like that with milk, you’re like that with meat - anything with a use-by date. And so it makes sense for you to be the same with medicines.

What I’m getting at, is I reckon you and I are both guilty - whether we’re a hoarder or someone who is fastidious about use-by dates - whichever type we are, we are all guilty of wasting stuff.

Which means, when it comes to things like medicines, every single one of us is guilty of chucking stuff out and not using it.

So why are we such hypocrites when it comes to the Government? Why are we such hypocrites and accusing the Government of being “oh-so-wasteful” when we do exactly the same thing ourselves?

Well, I’m not a hypocrite. Because I actually think the Government has nothing to defend when it comes to these rapid antigen COVID tests that are going to go to waste because they’ll be expired by the time the end of this month rolls around.

At the moment, the Government has about 60 million tests in stock. And, by the end of this month, 30 percent of them will have expired. That’s $530 million worth of tests that won’t be used. The Health Authority will be pulling them out of circulation. Down the drain.

Nearly a third of them have already expired - so, what’s that, about $160 million worth useless already.

Not surprisingly, the ACT Party is going nuts about it - saying it is a complete disregard of taxpayer money.

It says that instead of going all control freak on it, the Government should have shared the load with the businesses and organisations that wanted to bring their own tests into the country but weren’t allowed to.

But, on this occasion, I’m with Health Minister Ayesha Verall who still thinks the Government did the right thing getting all these tests in, even if it looks like a truckload of them are going to go down the drain.

$530 million worth.

Because being safe-than-sorry was the best approach when no one knew how long the pandemic was going  to go on for.

If you could’ve told me a year ago exactly how long the pandemic was going to go on for, then I’d be putting you up for a New Years’ honour. And if you could’ve told me exactly how many rapid antigen tests would be needed, then I’d be putting you up for a Kings’ Birthday honour as well.

But the Government had no idea how much testing was going to have to be done.  You didn’t either. Nor did the ACT Party and every other Tom, Dick and Harry knocking it from the sidelines.  

At best, it had the modelling to go on - which I know a lot of people poo-pooed at the time because it seemed to be way out-of-kilter with what actually happened.

But that was the best intel the Government had to go on and so it bought the number of tests it thought would be required if what was forecast to happen, did happen.

So I don’t think it’s a scandal at all. And I think we should be thankful that the Government took the approach it did.

Because I know the ACT Party would be going just as nuts if things had gone really pear-shaped and we were running out of test kits, instead of throwing them away.

If you go to your medicine cabinet or the box in the pantry where you keep all your medicines and plasters and things, do you honestly think you won’t find anything in there that’s passed its use-by date?
Be honest.
And ok, if there’s nothing in your medicine cabinet or medical kit that isn’t out of date, chances are that’s because you’re one of those people who doesn’t keep anything that’s past the use-by date.
You’re like that with milk, you’re like that with meat - anything with a use-by date. And so it makes sense for you to be the same with medicines.
What I’m getting at, is I reckon you and I are both guilty - whether we’re a hoarder or someone who is fastidious about use-by dates - whichever type we are, we are all guilty of wasting stuff.
Which means, when it comes to things like medicines, every single one of us is guilty of chucking stuff out and not using it.
So why are we such hypocrites when it comes to the Government? Why are we such hypocrites and accusing the Government of being “oh-so-wasteful” when we do exactly the same thing ourselves?
Well, I’m not a hypocrite. Because I actually think the Government has nothing to defend when it comes to these rapid antigen COVID tests that are going to go to waste because they’ll be expired by the time the end of this month rolls around.
At the moment, the Government has about 60 million tests in stock. And, by the end of this month, 30 percent of them will have expired. That’s $530 million worth of tests that won’t be used. The Health Authority will be pulling them out of circulation. Down the drain.
Nearly a third of them have already expired - so, what’s that, about $160 million worth useless already.
Not surprisingly, the ACT Party is going nuts about it - saying it is a complete disregard of taxpayer money.
It says that instead of going all control freak on it, the Government should have shared the load with the businesses and organisations that wanted to bring their own tests into the country but weren’t allowed to.
But, on this occasion, I’m with Health Minister Ayesha Verall who still thinks the Government did the right thing getting all these tests in, even if it looks like a truckload of them are going to go down the drain.
$530 million worth.
Because being safe-than-sorry was the best approach when no one knew how long the pandemic was going  to go on for.
If you could’ve told me a year ago exactly how long the pandemic was going to go on for, then I’d be putting you up for a New Years’ honour. And if you could’ve told me exactly how many rapid antigen tests would be needed, then I’d be putting you up for a Kings’ Birthday honour as well.
But the Government had no idea how much testing was going to have to be done.  You didn’t either. Nor did the ACT Party and every other Tom, Dick and Harry knocking it from the sidelines.  
At best, it had the modelling to go on - which I know a lot of people poo-pooed at the time because it seemed to be way out-of-kilter with what actually happened.
But that was the best intel the Government had to go on and so it bought the number of tests it thought would be required if what was forecast to happen, did happen.
So I don’t think it’s a scandal at all. And I think we should be thankful that the Government took the approach it did.
Because I know the ACT Party would be going just as nuts if things had gone really pear-shaped and we were running out of test kits, instead of throwing them away.

Every weekday join the new voice of local issues on Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald, 9am-12pm weekdays.

It’s all about the conversation with John, as he gets right into the things that get our community talking.

If it’s news you’re after, backing John is the combined power of the Newstalk ZB and New Zealand Herald news teams. Meaning when it comes to covering breaking news – you will not beat local radio.

With two decades experience in communications based in Christchurch, John also has a deep understanding of and connections to the Christchurch and Canterbury commercial sector.

Newstalk ZB Canterbury Mornings 9am-12pm with John MacDonald on 100.1FM and iHeartRadio.

Every weekday join the new voice of local issues on Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald, 9am-12pm weekdays. It’s all about the conversation with John, as he gets right into the things that get our community talking. If it’s news you’re after, backing John is the combined power of the Newstalk ZB and New Zealand Herald news teams. Meaning when it comes to covering breaking news – you will not beat local radio. With two decades experience in communications based in Christchurch, John also has a deep understanding of and connections to the Christchurch and Canterbury commercial sector. Newstalk ZB Canterbury Mornings 9am-12pm with John MacDonald on 100.1FM and iHeartRadio.

Every weekday join the new voice of local issues on Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald, 9am-12pm weekdays.

It’s all about the conversation with John, as he gets right into the things that get our community talking.

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