“Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern owes an apology to the New Zealanders she put through hell by not allowing them access to their own country,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.

"The decision not to appeal the Grounded Kiwis case is an admission the Government got it wrong.

“Ardern was asked in her post-cabinet press conference yesterday whether she would apologise and she batted the question away saying it was up to other Ministers to first decide whether they would appeal the court decision.

“Just over 12 hours later it was announced the Government won’t appeal. She didn’t apologise yesterday because she doesn’t want to be associated with failure – even though this rests firmly on her shoulders.

“When Jacinda Ardern faces the media today – she should look firmly down the barrel of the camera, own the decision she made to keep families apart and say sorry.

“People wanted and needed to come home for many reasons. Family reunions, deaths of loved ones, the arrival of new babies, to fill jobs, and just being with family and friends. New Zealand is their home, and this Government kept them locked out and fighting over a tiny number of MIQ spaces like some sort of cruel game.

“ACT would have allowed fully vaccinated people who have tested negative to self-isolate. Ardern’s needs to admit that she was more interested in command and control than being kind, own her mistake and say sorry to the people she hurt.”

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