Simon Watts
Spokesperson for National’s Auckland MPs
We, the National Party MPs for Auckland electorates, are calling on the Government to accept National’s offer of our comprehensive strategy to get New Zealand through these unprecedented times.
We like to believe that every MP enters Parliament with an earnest desire to do the very best for the people of New Zealand and the increasing distress of our constituents is simply intolerable.
In all of our electorates we are hearing of the collateral damage of sustained lockdowns. The mental toll this is taking on every Aucklander is significant, the inability to be with family for significant occasions, weeks off school for the kids, not to mention the physical health issues that are worsening due to not being addressed. Lives have been irreversibly changed for the worse in huge numbers.
Businesses have collapsed and others are holding on by a thread only by virtue of depleting retirement funds and re-mortgaging houses.
The Finance Minister has expressed nonchalance at the fact that many businesses will close due to this lockdown. The insensitivity of this is astounding. Businesses are not bricks and mortar. They are people and their livelihoods; from the people who clean the premises, the staff who may have worked there a few months or thirty years, to the owners and managers.
We realise that our city is not alone in our substantial struggles, but our people are bearing the brunt of New Zealand’s Covid-19 response.
Aucklanders need a plan, a proper vision of a way through, and most of all they need hope.
National has repeatedly urged the Government to adopt our Opening Up plan and we do so again today.
We also implore Jacinda Ardern and Grant Robertson to do everything they can to save businesses in our city. Every business lost places a huge cost burden on the Government in the form of more unemployed people needing support. Proactive and thorough financial support in the short term will mean in the long term businesses survive and people remain in employment.
We cannot emphasise enough how much of a tipping point our city and our country are in. Now is the time for honesty and to lay out a plan. National have provided the plan.
We are advocating for every single one of our electorates and those living in every Auckland electorate too. The status quo is not sufficient. We need action now.
National’s Opening Up plan: https://www.national.org.nz/opening-up
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