More than 42,000 people are backing National’s call for a safe trans-Tasman travel bubble to open, National’s Covid-19 response spokesperson Chris Bishop says.

“The Government can’t delay this any longer. Anything less than an announcement today on a hard-and-fast April start date for the trans-Tasman bubble will be a let-down.

“The issues that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says her Government is still working through aren’t new. They’ve had months to figure them out. The time for excuses is over.

“Almost every Government decision come with some risk. The key is whether that can be managed, and the verdict from epidemiologists and our international airports is: yes, it can.

“The response to National’s petition has been amazing. The pace at which we’ve seen people show their support for opening the trans-Tasman bubble has been incredible.

“The public support is understandable given the bubble will allow New Zealanders to reunite with family around the world by re-connecting us across the ditch and freeing up about 40 per cent of MIQ spaces currently occupied by travellers from Australia.

“Our tourism sector is crying out for this. The longer the Government waits, the more jobs we will lose and the more businesses we will see close down.

“Hard-working Kiwis have sacrificed so much throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. The Government owes it to them to finally deliver on this.”

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