Covid 19 Delta outbreak: Kiwis abroad home for Christmas under National’s plan – Judith Collins

Double-vaccinated Kiwis are likely to be able to come home by Christmas under a National Party plan to be released tomorrow.

Speaking ahead of the release of the Covid plan, leader Judith Collins said that it would help reunite families at Christmas.

“We are inviting the Government to adopt our plan entirely,” Collins said.

“We believe if they follow our plan, New Zealanders will be able to get home by Christmas and that is really important.”

Collins said the plan would not only focus on vaccinations but would look at other public health measures that would support the Covid response.

National’s Covid-19 spokesman Chris Bishop suggested the plan would allow different border measures for double-vaccinated New Zealanders.

“I think it would be fair to say if you are a double-vaccinated Kiwi offshore, or a double-vaccinated Kiwi in New Zealand, you will like our plan,” Bishop said.

“If you are a double-vaccinated Kiwi, you have given yourself the protection against Covid-19 and you will enjoy the fruits of National’s plan if the Government adopts it.”

Bishop said there are “thousands of New Zealanders offshore right now who can’t come home because of the human misery that is the MIQ lottery – they will benefit from National’s plan”.

Collins denied that her plan had been upstaged by former leader Sir John Key, who released his own vaccination plan over the weekend.

The plan was contained in an opinion column printed in most major media outlets, including the Herald on Sunday.

Collins said it was better that Key’s op-ed come out before National’s plan.

“It was better for that to come out when he is feeling so frustrated about it, but at the same time we have a very comprehensive plan – there would be no point John releasing his after ours because ours is very, very thorough,” Collins said.

Collins said she called Key and discussed his plan on Sunday, following its publication.

“I support him expressing the views that he and many other New Zealanders are frustrated,” Collins said.

“I called him and said ‘you’ve certainly got the lefties upset now John’, so we had a good laugh about that,” she said.

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