“I’d never normally bring a politician’s partner into politics, but everyone should break a rule from time to time, and I want to commend Clarke Gayford for advocating Rapid Antigen Tests. If only he knew someone in the Government who could lift its silly restrictions” says ACT Leader David Seymour.
Clarke Gayford has been reported as allegedly telling a pharmacist they should sell Rapid Antigen Tests for his friend because the rules had changed, but they hadn’t.
“I first said on the second of June that the Government should lift the ban on New Zealanders importing and using Rapid Antigen Tests. Good ideas always prevail in the end, and now even Clarke Gayford has been caught strongly advocating for more access to Rapid Antigen tests.
“The world is already facing a massive supply crunch for Rapid Antigen Tests, but no other country faces such severe restrictions on importing the tests from its own Government. With omicron on the horizon, the restrictions should be lifted immediately.
“The Threaputic Good Authority (TGA) in Australia has authorised 65 types of test, and they have a shortage. We are hamstrung by the doctrinaire Medsafe ‘letting’ New Zealanders only have four types under limited conditions.
“The Government should take Clarke Gayford’s lead and remove the silly restrictions on Rapid Antigen Tests tomorrow. It is the right policy, and now the Prime Minister has every reason to follow it.”