Generation Xers will recall the famous X-Files assertion “Trust no one”. It came to mind with news that official Government statistics found a radical collapse since 2021 in New Zealanders’ trust in institutions, including Parliament, media, the health system, justice and police.
Trust in Police fell from 7.7 to 7.4, but still the most trusted of those measured. Trust in Parliament fell to 4.9. The lowest trust was in media, which fell even lower, from 4.7 to 4.3.
Major institutions, except the Police, are now extraordinarily weak. There is a moral power imbalance in favour of businesses and community organisations, who maintain very strong trust among the public. To achieve things, politicians now need even more support from business and civic society. Media have even less claim on the time of these organisations, or leverage over them.
Worryingly though, the study showed that people’s trust in other citizens has also fallen, from 6.7 to 6.5. This is alongside a decline in confidence in personal safety. Appeals for support between citizens will have to work a little harder.
In a bold admission, StatisticsNZ said this was fallout from the Covid era. The cost is insidious.
In one episode X-Files protagonist Fox Mulder complained that being unable to trust was hard; “suspecting everyone, everything, it wears you down. You even begin to doubt what you know is the truth.”
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