“A wave of economic destruction is approaching the country, and, with just one active Covid-19 case remaining, the Prime Minister must explain why she continues to wait to ease remaining restrictions on the economy,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.
“Stats NZ said on Thursday that 37,500 jobs were lost in April alone, the biggest monthly fall in percentage terms in at least two decades.
“The job losses we’re seeing may already be worse than those felt during the Global Financial Crisis.
“That’s tens of thousands of New Zealand families no longer able to provide for themselves and instead having to rely on welfare.
“The Reserve Bank says we are headed for the biggest fall in economic growth in 160 years.
“The human consequences of the recession will be staggering.
“Meanwhile, we have just a single active case of Covid-19 left in the country. New Zealand has had seven days in a row without a new case. The last case of community transmission was in early April, nearly four transmission cycles ago.
“The data shows we have beaten the virus. We’re now attempting to squash a flea with a sledgehammer.
“The Prime Minister must tell New Zealanders, specifically, what it will take to move us to Alert Level 1.
“New Zealanders have made enormous sacrifices over the past two months. The people deserve to know what further sacrifices are necessary.
“In the absence of a compelling case to keep remaining restrictions in place, on Monday the Cabinet should make the decision to move New Zealand to Alert Level 1 as soon as possible.”