Table of Contents
David Seymour
ACT Party Leader
Today’s announcement of a slow, staged and uncertain border reopening is all about Jacinda, instead of New Zealanders.
This will be Jacinda’s third announcement about the same thing. As usual it forecasts another announcement for next month. New Zealand is not short of Prime Ministerial speeches, we’re short of loved ones, workers, and tourists.
The decision was made on Tuesday after Cabinet had yet another three-day weekend, why didn’t she just put out a press release then?
Jacinda thinks she can charm her way through bad decision making but more and more Kiwis are yelling at the TV screen saying, “just tell us what we need to know!”
There is no good reason or evidence that today’s decisions have been based on. Once there is more spread in the community than we will get from the border, there is no point in MIQ.
If the Government does feel the need to delay reopening until imported infections will not significantly affect the spread of Omicron, its policy should be simple. It should simply say “we will reopen as soon as imported infections from home isolation will make less difference than domestic infections.” The thing is, that time is now.
Once again the Government has given itself a date where it could change its mind and slam the door shut again. There’s no certainty. The Government is unprepared and procrastinating because it doesn’t know what it’s doing or what problem it’s solving.
We need an intelligent balance between COVID and getting our way of life back. Right now, all we’re getting is theatrics and spin over substance and decision making.
