POLITICS: 

We know that certain groups are particularly vulnerable to exploitation, including those from low income countries, with limited English or low level skills, migrants working outside of their visa conditions (such as over stayers or those on visitor visas), migrants who need to hold jobs to remain in the country or gain residence; and international students.

He said he understands the pain and anguish of those migrants who are stuck overseas due to Labour government’s insensitivity towards migrants. He said government’s approach of slow processing of migrants’ application was very much in place even before Covid struck. The visa processing period was increased from 50 to 100 days much before Covid arrived in the country. This is all happening when there is an acute shortage of skilled and non-skilled labour in the country and every single sector of the economy is badly suffering due to this shortage and this is badly impacting New Zealand economy.

As we take the next step in our plan to reconnect with the world, I know many people here in Mt Roskill and around the country will be looking forward to reuniting with family and friends from overseas.

Thanks to changes announced, vaccinated Kiwis overseas can now return to New Zealand without entering MIQ or having to self-isolate. This means travellers upon arrival can immediately connect with family and friends, as long as they test negative within 24 hours of arriving.

Once again many cultural festivals around New Zealand have had to be cancelled, postponed or moved online due to the impact of Omicron around our country. I was particularly saddened to see that this year I and my fellow National Members of Parliament will be unable to join the community in celebration of Holi, one of my favourite Indian festivals.

On being asked about why his government has been so slow in taking decisions Dr Gaurav defended his government saying that governments can’t take decisions in a rush. He said we must wait and must keep a close watch on what’s going around in the world and sometimes even learn from other countries experiences.

We know that we’re likely to see many more cases than we have previously, but there are ways we can all help to protect each other. You’ve probably heard that mask requirements have been strengthened, because we know from the experience of countries overseas that wearing a mask, when done right, has a significant role to play in managing Omicron.

With the shift to the COVID-19 Protection Framework last week, I know many of us are delighted to be able to catch up with friends for coffee at local cafes and are planning to head to our favourite holiday spots over summer. As we take this next step in our plan, I want to say a huge thank you to everyone in Auckland.

Behind the hardened bureaucrats and colossal red tape at Immigration New Zealand is a Minister who appears to have suddenly realised that after 18-months of doing very little, he might have a few problems on his hands.

This has been a hard column to write this month as for all of us it’s been a tough few months, but together, we’ve pulled out all the stops to keep each other safe. Our hard work made our move to Step 2 possible. Now, we can begin to look ahead to summer, a happy Christmas and the new possibilities on the horizon – but these depend on us all sticking to the rules and continuing to lift our vaccination rates.

2022 will see the House of Representatives host the 10th New Zealand Youth Parliament and it’s going to be amazing. I am looking for an incredible young leader who can inspire the youth of New Zealand as my representative at this exciting event. The role of Youth Parliament over the years has been vital in creating some of New Zealand’s greatest talent including some of my own Parliamentary Colleagues.

The next step is to continue getting as many people as possible vaccinated. More than 58% of people in New Zealand are fully vaccinated and 82% of people have now had at least one dose of the vaccine, which is a fantastic effort. However, to ensure our communities are safe and to make sure we can get back to doing the things we love, we need as many people as possible to get their two shots.

With Christmas fast approaching Kiwis are starting to think about summer, holiday plans and relaxing. Many will be feeling bitterly disappointed that they still can’t see family who have been stuck fighting for MIQ spots.