Welcome to the first day of vaccine mandate.  Today was the deadline for teachers and health workers to have had at least one shot of the Covid vaccination. Â
We all know this has caused some consternation amongst members of those professions who have an antipathy towards the vaccine, and amongst those people against government compulsion. Â
In fact, there has been a cacophony of calls suggesting that this issue is splitting the nation. Headlines, commentators and talkback callers claim that this is the most divisive issue in our history. Â
But is it really?Â
To be divisive, you really need to be split 50/50 on an issue, yet in vaccinations we are already pushing 80 percent double vaccinated. That is a very large majority of the country. Â
What we have is a very loud minority who are prepared to shout division at the top of their lungs. Â
It is interesting how many of our politicians are pro-vaccination but anti-mandates.  Even the Prime Minister was reticent. Today, David Seymour calls the mandates divisive and mean-spirited, even though as the personal choice party he should also be supporting the businesses who make a personal choice to employ who they want. Â
It’s important to realise that these mandates proposed by the Government are mostly for their employees. The doctors, nurses, teachers and firefighters which covers 40 percent of the population. Â
It should also be noted that private companies are doing the exact same thing.  Whether it’s Spark or The Warehouse or Air New Zealand or my very own company. Â
The non-vaxxed will not be let into our studio doors and negotiations with non-vaxxed staff will hinge around them staying at home. Â
So, whether it’s government order or just the domination of the wishes of the vast majority, there will one rule for the vaxxed and another for the non-vaxxed. It’s your personal choice Â
The mandates are a fact of life. They’re not hear to oppress you but to preserve your health and the health of others around you.   Â
They are compulsion. Just like the compulsion that was conscription and compulsory military service which led servicemen to die in defence of your freedoms in the first placeÂ