Dear John,
Shock and sadness after death of British MP
I am sure we were all shocked and saddened to hear of the death of
British Conservative MP Sir David Amess last week. It is a sobering
reminder that we live in times where there are deepening divisions in
our democratic society that are becoming increasingly dangerous at
both ends of the political spectrum.
This attack reminds us that while people should be free to disagree
and to debate the issues, resorting to violence is unconscionable.
The National Party condemns this senseless act of violence and our
hearts go out to Mr Amess’s family and the Conservative Party in
Britain.
Auckland locked down with no end in sight
The Government is keeping Auckland at alert level 3 for another ten
days at least, saying that if the vaccine target set today, Friday, is
reached, then restrictions will be loosened.
The plan to get
Auckland out of lockdown has been a very long time coming and the
Labour Government clearly has had no plan, no ideas and has provided
no hope for Aucklanders until forced by the National Opposition.
We have been calling for the Prime Minister to lay out the
conditions and timeframe for Auckland coming out of level 3. We want
her to travel back to the city to see first-hand the damage caused by
nine weeks of lockdown. Why didn’t the PM say weeks ago that Level 3
won't be eased until there is 90% double vaccination, which could take
another month now?
We think it’s time to get moving and we want the 1st of
December to be the day that we all get our freedom and the whole
country gets back to business.
If this doesn’t happen what will the cafes, the gyms, the
hairdressers, the beauticians, the chiropractors and other service
industries do? How are they coping after 66 days of closure in
Auckland?
Not one of them is to blame for the pandemic or the Government’s
poor response. These are good, solid businesses, owned by hardworking
Kiwis employing others, that have shut and some will not be able to
reopen. There are now more than 190,000 working age Kiwis on the
JobSeeker benefit.
Likewise, none of the children and teenagers who have missed a term
at school have had any option but to be shut in their own homes in
Auckland.
None of you deserve the hardship that this pandemic lockdown has
brought with it and at the very least you deserve a Government that
acts with urgency to get you back to your ‘normal’ life.
Back in September my National’s MP’s Chris Bishop, Dr Shane Reti
and Simon Watts and I launched our 'Opening
Up' plan to end lockdowns and reopen New Zealand to the world.
The Government have now adopted yet another of these Opening Up
ideas and at last they are reserving MIQ spaces for healthcare workers
– as we have been urging them to do for many months.
Back in Business
This week we launched our economic plan 'Back
in Business' - National's plan to save livelihoods and unleash our
economy.
The Government cannot just continue to borrow while locking down
our economy and hoping for the best. Since the initial Covid outbreak
around 80,000 New Zealanders have been pushed onto welfare. The
closure of the border has wiped $20 billion from our economy with the
loss of international students and tourists.
In the two months before the latest outbreak more than 11,000
businesses closed their doors for good. Without urgent action, this
lockdown will see many more businesses and their workers go the same
way. This can be avoided with the right plan and National has it.
Our plan is focused on responding to the immediate impact and then
enabling growth for businesses through reconnecting with the world
economy.
To respond to the immediate economic impact of Covid-19, we would
provide a number of measures to struggling businesses, offer smarter
rules for managing lockdowns, and make it easier for businesses to
operate.
We would offer immediate support to save jobs and keep businesses
afloat.
There must be clarity around public health rules for business on
vaccination, regional borders rules and alert level requirements.
We would reduce the burden on businesses and workers by cutting
taxes on small businesses and on workers. We would offer incentives
for investment, freeze costly new regulations affecting businesses and
provide support for mental health in the sector.
The National Opposition Plan would deliver targeted support to save
the highly affected hospitality and tourism industries. Things like
vouchers for dining, insurance for cancelled events and allowing for
more outdoor dining, would be supported.
National believes the business sector should play a much bigger
role in our Covid-19 response. As we head towards the National
Opposition’s 85-90% vaccination milestone, business needs a clear plan
for moving away from blanket restrictions to a more sophisticated
model based on trust and technology.
My team and I are committed to ending lockdowns, stopping the
unprecedented borrowing, reopening our economy, backing new businesses
and reconnecting to the world. And Christmas.
Best wishes for your Labour Weekend,
Judith
Hon Judith
Collins http://judithcollins.national.org.nz/
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