Yesterday’s announcement by the Prime Minister of a decision and an announcement that may happen in December is just the latest sign the Government has utterly lost the plot, says Leader of the Opposition Judith Collins.
“This is an announcement that in two weeks’ time there will be an announcement on what the Cabinet will decide. This makes a total nonsense of the idea that we have to wait for public health advice to lift restrictions Aucklanders are currently forced to live under.
“This is Government on the fly. Yesterday’s bizarre and incomprehensible ‘plan’ will create a summer of chaos for all New Zealanders.
“Every week that goes by, Kiwis are being flooded with new, confused and contradictory messaging.
“It was less than four weeks ago the Prime Minister announced the 90 per cent DHB target. Now it has been abandoned.
“It is clear that the DHB target was only ever about buying the Government time to get its vaccine certificate sorted.
“If Aucklanders can travel on December 15, they should be able to travel today. Why should we need border checks?
“The Prime Minister was unable to answer basic questions about how the new stop and search travel system would even work.
“No idea how many cars police would be pulling over each day.
“No idea whether people would need to provide photo ID alongside their vaccine certificate.
“No idea if this would apply to 12-year-olds or just adults.
“No idea if someone if someone is pulled over just south of Auckland, how will police know whether they have come from Huntly or Auckland?
“We also hear today that areas with low vaccination will move to level red under the traffic light system. This is yet another criteria added to the traffic light system just weeks after it was announced.
“This means that areas such as Gisborne or Taupo are now potentially going into tougher restrictions, with only a hundred fully vaccinated people allowed into bars.
“Every region in New Zealand will now be trying to work out if it has high enough vaccination levels and if its bars and restaurants will be open for Christmas and New Year.
“It is very hard to see how any of this is going to work.
“Now, after four ludicrous plans, it’s absolutely clear the whole situation really is truly farcical.
“National’s position is clear – once we reach 85 per cent double-vaccinated, or on December 1, whichever comes first, regional borders end.
“That’s something everyone can understand.”
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