Ardern all but confirms that Aussies won’t be travelling to New Zealand this year
Hopes that Aussies will be able to travel across the ditch before Christmas have seemingly been dashed, with New Zealand committed to keeping its border closed for the time being.
In her speech to Business New Zealand yesterday in Auckland, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said New Zealand “will be continuing with our existing border settings for now, while we work on what can be accommodated within those settings”.
“New Zealanders want and deserve a safe summer holiday, so our focus is on managing the existing risk profile,” she said.
“By forgoing some freedoms, namely the free movement at our borders, we retain the long-term health of our population and the open economy we now enjoy.”
Ardern said New Zealand’s decision to close its international border was a choice she believes has served the country well and that Kiwis have, for the most part, supported.
She also encouraged continued conversation on the country’s borders, “but while remembering that they are key to our success”.
The New Zealand PM’s comments come after both Tourism New Zealand and Air New Zealand revealed they were both planning in anticipation of the trans-Tasman ‘bubble’ becoming two-way in the first quarter of 2021.
Image source: YouTube/Sky News
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seriously? This is the best chance we have to test, in a safe way, travel between our two countries. To test the protocols in a limited almost virus-free environment. To better manage those protocols and enhance what will work best …. Have our respective state governments, and the government of NZ not had adequate time during all these months to prepare a framework? Every citizen and business has been made to confront such realities.
oh well, looks like we’ll go to Fiji instead of NZ this Xmas.
what a disgrace she is. Worse than Qld premier if that’s possible. The worst NZ PM ever.
And yet ironically received more of the vote than any recent predessecor – in fact, going on the numbers from the most recent election it could be said she is the most popular NZ PM of the last century.
No party had managed to win an outright majority in New Zealand since it introduced a voting system known as Mixed Member Proportional representation (MMP) in 1996.
They both made a big show of “keeping us safe” when up for re-election so I’m not surprised that neither of them will budge. But absolutely gutted that they can’t see beyond their egos and work it out. It’s not like they haven’t had time to put a plan in place especially as both countries have it pretty much under control and it would be the easiest bubble to open. NZ in particular can’t stay in a bubble for ever, the economy can’t afford it. Neither can the QLD one!