National says Government ‘spinning fear’
WELLINGTON: The National Party says the Government is spinning ‘‘an awful lot of fear’’ heading into the election.
It comes as the Government increases its messaging about Covid19 amid concerns New Zealanders have become relaxed about the threat of the virus after 90 days with no community transmission.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern pushed the message of ‘‘ongoing vigilance’’ and said every New Zealander still had a part to play in the fight against Covid19.
The country was moved to Alert Level 1 with the expectation everyone would maintain good hygiene, keeping track of their movements, seek medical advice if they have symptoms and get tested if needed.
But Ms Ardern said it appeared that had not happened so the Government was ‘‘dialling back up’’ the Covid messaging.
‘‘We have seen, however, there is a bit of a sense that New Zealand is free of Covid and that vigilance isn’t required.
‘‘We still need people to be on guard.’’
Ms Ardern said while there had been 90 days of no community transmission, New Zealand had to be ‘‘searching as hard as we can to ensure the virus isn’t here’’.
A recent survey by the Royal New Zealand College of General
Practitioners found half of GPs had experienced patients refusing a test.
‘‘Someone refusing a test could be the difference between identifying a chain of transmission or it going undetected in our community in a hugely damaging way,’’ Ms Ardern said.
Health Minister Chris Hipkins last month said he wanted daily testing numbers to hover around 4000, but the Government has struggled to reach that target.
Yesterday, laboratories processed 1692 tests, of which 1259 swabs were taken in the community and 433 swabs were taken in managed isolation or quarantine facilities.
More routine testing of staff working at managed isolation hotels and the border would be rolled out in an attempt to get better daily numbers.
There were two new Covid19 cases in managed isolation yesterday.
Ms Ardern said New Zealanders also had to take on some responsibility themselves.
But National leader Judith Collins said the Government was using fear ahead of the election.
‘‘I’m seeing an awful lot of fear being spun by the current Government.
‘‘Fear that we [National] would open the borders ridiculously, fear that we would let Covid [run wild].
‘‘We’ve got zero tolerance to Covid19. I’m not letting that stuff in.’’
Ms Collins said National would bring hope about what it could do for the country.
‘‘It’s hope about what we can do. ‘‘We don’t have to sit there receiving benefits if there’s something else we can do.’’
She said a National government would pay off debt quicker than a Labourled one.
National has previously committed to getting debt below 30% of GDP within a decade.
Party finance spokesman Paul Goldsmith yesterday called on Labour to reveal its target and timeframe for reducing debt.
Ms Ardern said the Government’s plan was to grow the economy by investing in people and job creation opposed to National’s plan for austerity and up to $80 billion of cuts which could include health and education.
She did not rule out campaigning on another top tax bracket to help repay the debt from the Covid crisis. — The New Zealand Herald
ALEXANDRA woman Karen Elliot has lived in New Zealand for 47 years — without citizenship, residency or a visa.
Mrs Elliot said yesterday her status came to light only when she applied for a job after losing her remote work for a Christchurch company that fell victim to Covid19.
‘‘If I left the country now, I wouldn’t get back in.’’
The issue nearly put another job, working remotely for an international insurer, in jeopardy.
Mrs Elliot moved to New Zealand with her parents from Scotland, aged 10, in 1973.
She believed the laws changed in 1977, meaning any arrival before that date was granted automatic residency but not issued any papers.
It is the lack of papers that had become a headache.
‘‘The only thing that has highlighted this in all this time is this job.
‘‘I vote, I am on the electoral roll, I have an IRD number, I have a New Zealand driver’s licence but when I called Immigration New Zealand there’s no record of me.’’
She said she was also told that information was not shared between government departments.
‘‘By rights they could deport me . . . I hope they don’t.’’
To be entered into her potential employer’s payroll system she needed either a passport, or to show both a driver’s licence and a birth certificate.
None of these proved she had the right to live and work in New Zealand, she said.
She grew up in New Zealand, originally in Auckland, before making the move to the Alexandra area, and has two daughters and four grandchildren, spread between Alexandra and Cromwell, she said.
She also has a son in the United Kingdom — ironically, on a UK passport.
‘‘I got all the kids UK passports.’’
She had never left New Zealand, so she had never needed a passport.
She left a job with Downer to tour the country with her husband in the house bus they have lived in for the past 10 years and working from home had suited her since, she said.
She had also contacted Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean’s office and staff there were trying to speed up the process, Mrs Elliot said.
‘‘I call myself a New Zealander, I speak like a New Zealander.’’
An Immigration New Zealand spokeswoman said Mrs Elliot’s application was lodged on July 20 under a previous name.