"It's taken six months, and the threat of losing the Bledisloe in election year, but the Government is finally applying common sense at the border,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.

“It’s great that New Zealand will still host the two test matches, common sense has prevailed – now we need to see more common sense from Government.

“Scott Morrison has a direct line to Jacinda Ardern to sort this out. Butchers and bakers weren’t so lucky during lockdowns.

“Despite having 102 days after the first lockdown to sort out the rules, they still weren’t allowed to open even though they could have done so safely.

“Hospitality businesses, especially those in the South Island or venues that can host large numbers of people but are limited to 100, will wish they too could call Ardern about sorting out the rules.

“We’ve already lost the Rugby Championship because we weren’t sensible and nimble. Businesses have been hamstrung because of ongoing Level 2 restrictions.

“The Government has repeatedly told us a strong health approach would lead to an open economy and yet we’re facing large restrictions and businesses are suffering.”

ACT’s approach learns from Taiwan and includes:

• 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 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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