Wednesday, August 05, 2020



Unfit to govern

The COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020 was extended today, until December 1st or the tenth sitting day following the resumption of Parliament after the election. It seems like a necessary extension. While we currently have eradicated the virus in New Zealand, it is still banging at the door, and its probably inevitable that it will get in at some stage, even with our current border protections. We need to have a good legal framework in place to allow us to impose lockdowns or other appropriate measures when that happens.

So naturally, the National Party voted against extension. Its as if they want people to think they are on the side of the virus. Though really, the reason is that they are irresponsible wreckers, who would have passed this law or something like it had they been in government, but feel they have to oppose it because Labour passed it. And that simply makes them unfit to govern.

(I opposed the search provisions of the law, which are overly intrusive, but the general framework is a necessary and proportionate response to this threat for the time being).