“What a cockeyed world we live in when the Government is letting in criminals from Australia but not their tourists,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.
“There are currently New Zealanders sitting overseas waiting months for a place in managed isolation but for some reason we can always make space for criminals being deported from Australia.
“Meanwhile, as Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said yesterday and ACT has been saying for ages, the only barrier to Australians coming here to inject money into New Zealand tourist towns is Jacinda Ardern’s Government.
“Of course if the Government would find ways to get out of its own way it would have plenty of room in MIQ for New Zealanders – Australians make up about 40 percent of MIQ spaces.
“Solutions to the dilemma the Government has created for itself are laid out in ACT’s COVID Response Plan 2.0, including using detection and tracing technology to minimise whatever minute risk exists that COVID from Australian states that don’t presently have community transmission could find its way across the Tasman.
“Anything is possible if the Government would put actions to its words about continuous improvement and get out of its own and bring our innovative business community into the tent.”
ENDS