And woefully low rate of Vaccination is worrying
Judith Collins
Wellington, August 23, 2021
The Prime Minister has advised me that she is unilaterally suspending Parliament.
I have expressed that a one week suspension of Parliament is all the National Party will support. However, the Prime Minister has indicated that she expects it will continue longer than that.
Unfathomable move
At a time when New Zealanders have the harshest lockdown in the world and have lost our freedoms because of the government’s failure to vaccinate and secure the border, this move by Jacinda Ardern is unfathomable.
Look around the world and you will see parliaments managing to continue to function despite challenging circumstances. In the UK, they operated virtually for almost a year.
There are important questions that need to be asked as to how Delta got into New Zealand. Suspending Parliament means that the government avoids this scrutiny.
As Leader of the Opposition, I will be reaching out to the ACT and Maori Parties to establish how best we can prevent this shut down of democracy at the very moment we need it the most.
Additionally, Labour have resisted all calls for the recommencement of the Epidemic Response Committee. Jacinda Ardern clearly thinks that her actions and the actions of her government should be beyond reproach and is moving to ensure that is the case.
Accountability missing
This is unacceptable and an overreach of power. It leaves New Zealanders with no ability to demand accountability and transparency from the Government.
Clearly, despite her assurances to govern for all New Zealanders, Jacinda Ardern is unwilling to be accountable to them.
The National Party will lead the Opposition to demand democracy is retained during this time of crisis. New Zealand cannot and will not become a One-Party dictatorship.
Vaccination target vital
New Zealand needs to set a 70% to 75% target of vaccination of the eligible population to avoid future countrywide lockdowns.
“It is now clear that the Delta variant of Covid-19 got into the country through Managed Isolation and Quarantine. It is another troubling development and one which means that we are now under Level 4 restrictions once again.
Kiwis are again having to make serious sacrifice.
While vaccination rates are increasing, they remain perilously slow – three-quarters of the current eligible population is unvaccinated.
New Zealand was not prepared for the arrival of Delta because Labour has failed to show the urgency on vaccination that Kiwis deserve.
The United Kingdom, United States, Israel, France, Germany, Singapore and many others have all set the bar with vaccination rates above 60% of their population.
New Zealand remains the slowest in the developed world.
Many of our frontline workers are having to turn up to their jobs without vaccination – 35% of port workers are still totally unvaccinated and more than 3000 Auckland hospital workers have yet to have a single dose. Many of our essential workers in shops and supermarkets are yet to be vaccinated.
The only way to keep Kiwis safe and avoid the social and financial cost of future lockdowns is to set a vaccinate target and to vaccinate Kiwis with urgency.
The Labour Government has not prepared New Zealand for the present or the future.
Recovery Fund misused
The Covid Recovery Fund has been used for things that are not related to Covid and now there’s precious little left to support Kiwis through the current lockdown.
We will likely be forced to borrow more, putting the country further into debt.
In the meantime, saliva testing still has not been rolled out despite being recommended urgently a year ago, rapid antigen tests are actually banned in New Zealand, and there has been little investment in extra ICU and ventilator capacity.
New Zealanders are doing their part. It is time now that the government stepped up and did the same.
A target of 70% to 75% vaccination to avoid future lockdowns and the cost that this imposes on every New Zealander is now not just urgent, it is imperative.
Judith Collins is Leader of National Party and Leader of the Opposition.
