“New Zealand losing out to Australia on hosting the Rugby Championship shows our response to Covid-19 wasn’t good enough,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.

“The Government has repeatedly talked about ‘gold standard’ contact tracing and talked up our success around managing Covid-19. So why is Australia deemed a better option for hosting this lucrative sporting event?

“New Zealanders have missed live sport. It’s part of who we are. We’ve already had to sacrifice a crowd at the North vs South game because Covid-19 was back in our community, now we’re sacrificing an entire competition.

“I hate to losing to Australia. And it was entirely avoidable. This happened because the Government dropped the ball.

“Media are reporting that New South Wales will host the event because of ‘superior quarantine conditions.’

“Only a Party Vote for ACT is a vote to get smarter in dealing with Covid-19. Our plan is:

• New Zealand Epidemic Response Unit: Based on Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Centre
• Government as referee, not player: Allow alternative facilities for safe, electronically-monitored isolation, with strict punishment for rule-breakers
• Risk-weighted: Treat different countries and travellers with different levels of caution
• Technology-driven: Such as the Covid Card, ëlarm, rapid tests, temperature checks and thermal cameras
• Continuous improvement: Constantly compare ourselves with the best and seek to strengthen our resistance.

“If we want to enhance New Zealanders’ overall wellbeing, we must get a lot smarter. A Party Vote for ACT is a vote to tackle Covid-19 intelligently.”

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