2020 Election: Nation Seeks Greater Role for Private Sector and More Open Borders

The National Party wants any provider to be able to apply to accommodate foreigners under the Covid-19 quarantine standards that its national border agency would establish, inspect and enforce.

It could see the private sector play a bigger role in more open borders under nation-led government, and increased isolation and managed quarantine (MIQ) capacity beyond the current 7,300 beds.

National’s Deputy Leader Gerry Brownlee will release details in Auckland today on the party’s long-term border strategy.

READ MORE:
• Covid 19 coronavirus: Auckland advances to alert level 2 and NZ to level 1 – Jacinda Ardern
• 2020 election: Labor would allocate 10 percent of MIQ seats to foreigners
• Covid 19 coronavirus: Unusually long virus incubation period is rare but possible, says expert
• Covid 19 coronavirus: Police shared private health details of Covid-positive people with potential employers

The policy is understood to include National’s proposed New Zealand Border Protection Agency, to be established within 100 days of taking office, taking the lead on MIQ’s security standards.

Those standards would continue to aim to keep New Zealand as Covid-free as possible, which would likely require any facility to keep groups of travelers separate and provide one toilet per person or per traveler bubble.

But the cost to the taxpayer could be lightened with greater participation from the private sector, and increased MIQ capacity could allow more foreign workers and students to enter the country.

National already wants overseas arrivals to pay per MIQ: $ 3,000 for a managed isolation room and an additional $ 1,000 for an additional person and $ 500 for each child over 16.

It is understood that under National policy, the border agency could allow vendors to charge more for foreigners who are prepared to isolate themselves in more luxurious accommodations, as long as safety standards are met.

It’s unclear if National’s announcement will include a timeline for when the border could be further opened.

National has previously touted its border agency as a way to sort through the many layers of Covid’s response and provide clearer accountability.

Similarly, the Act wants the government to set MIQ security standards, and if they are met by educational institutes or even Airbnbs, then foreigners must be allowed in.

Currently, all MIQ facilities are managed by the government, with $ 479 million set aside to cover costs from March through the end of the year.

NZ First has said MIQ should be moved to army bases, while Labor wants 10 percent of MIQ to be reserved for non-Kiwis, with a particular focus on allowing in migrant workers to fill a gap of particular skills that Kiwis can’t. fill in.

The government has previously said that specially built MIQ facilities are being explored and has outlined criteria for loosening the border, including faster turnaround time for testing, the ability to treat large numbers of people and whether a vaccine exists.

National has already published a policy on border controls, including a requirement to test negative before flying to New Zealand and a CovidCard for everyone at or working in an MIQ facility.

National has also committed to implementing Bluetooth-based technology to help prevent future crashes or partial crashes, but has not made a commitment to a particular technology.

It keeps tabs on different options, including the latest Apple-Google collaboration, which identifies your location and nearby contacts. An exposure notification is sent to your device if you’ve been in the same place at the same time with someone who tested positive.