Sunday, 03 December 2023
KaitaiaWhangareiDargavilleAucklandThamesTaurangaHamiltonWhakataneRotoruaTokoroaTe KuitiTaumarunuiTaupoGisborneNew PlymouthNapierHastingsDannevirkeWhanganuiPalmerston NorthLevinParaparaumuMastertonWellingtonMotuekaNelsonBlenheimWestportReeftonKaikouraGreymouthHokitikaChristchurchAshburtonTimaruWanakaOamaruQueenstownDunedinGoreInvercargill
NZ HeraldThe Northern AdvocateThe Northland AgeThe AucklanderWaikato HeraldBay Of Plenty TimesRotorua Daily PostHawke's Bay TodayWhanganui ChronicleThe Stratford PressManawatu GuardianKapiti NewsHorowhenua ChronicleTe Awamutu CourierVivaEat WellOneRoofDRIVEN Car GuideThe CountryPhoto SalesiHeart RadioRestaurant Hub
Voyager 2023 media awards
Subscribe

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand / Politics

MIQ 'irrational': Hundreds of entertainers, dozens of DJs granted exceptions to get into NZ

NZ Herald
10 Mar, 2022 11:40 PM3 mins to read
Saveshare

Share this article

facebookcopy linktwitterlinkedinredditemail
Bloomfield said there would be some changes to the reporting of Covid related deaths. Video / NZ Herald

Hundreds of entertainers including dozens of DJs were handed border exceptions last year, in what a lobby group says highlights the shambolic nature of MIQ.

The New Zealand Taxpayers' Union said 316 foreign entertainers, including 64 DJs, were "fast-tracked" through managed isolation last year.

Guests leaving the Pullman Hotel's MIQ facility in Auckland last year. Photo / Dean Purcell
Guests leaving the Pullman Hotel's MIQ facility in Auckland last year. Photo / Dean Purcell

An Official Information Act response showed the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment granted the critical worker border exceptions.

"Techno performers like DJ Dimension and Dom Dolla hogged rooms in MIQ facilities while Kiwis were barred from seeing their families," taxpayers' union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke said.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

He added: "How can anyone defend dishing out exemptions to dubstep and hip-hop DJs while slamming the door shut on nurses that we desperately need?"

Houlbrooke said any claims the entertainers brought a wider benefit to the national or regional economy did not stack up.

"MIQ has wound down for Kiwis, but the Government's cruel and irrational zero-sum game remains in place for international visitors," he said.

Forty-six people were granted a critical purpose visa for summer festivals in December, January and February.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

Of people invited to apply for visas over summer, 15 had been invited to apply for visas once before and two had been invited to apply for visas twice before.

DJ Dimension late last year said he was devastated to learn he had tested positive for Omicron while in New Zealand.

The DJ, real name Robert Etheridge, said he received hate and abuse after testing positive.

Etheridge admitted to leaving self-isolation early without receiving the result of his day 9 test, which later returned a positive result.

The UK-based electronic music artist was due to perform at Rhythm & Alps near Wānaka before he abruptly pulled out not long before he was due to take the stage.

Before heading south he spent several hours in the community on Boxing Day - visiting places including a nightclub and bar, restaurants and a jewellery store.

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins this week unveiled a timeline for the dismantling of most MIQ facilities.

Only four out of 32 staying in the network from the end of June.

The announcement upset some MIQ hotel workers, with Unite Union saying staff learned of the timeline through media, and would lose weekly MIQ allowances of about $80.

Saveshare

Share this article

facebookcopy linktwitterlinkedinredditemail

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand|Crime

'Inhumane': Drug supplier filmed young man dying from overdose

02 Dec 05:00 PM
New Zealand

From Kotemāori to the skies: 'I bloody love my career'

02 Dec 05:00 PM
New Zealand

'It’s like having a child': Owners of diabetic pets face big costs

02 Dec 04:01 PM
Premium
New Zealand

Shane Te Pou: Dear Govt, find us a doctor who will say it's right to give Kiwis cancer to pay for tax cuts

02 Dec 04:00 PM

Top toys of 2023 for kids & ‘kidults’

sponsored

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

'Inhumane': Drug supplier filmed young man dying from overdose

'Inhumane': Drug supplier filmed young man dying from overdose

02 Dec 05:00 PM

The man was filmed thrashing around in the shower in distress as the drug took effect.

From Kotemāori to the skies: 'I bloody love my career'

From Kotemāori to the skies: 'I bloody love my career'

02 Dec 05:00 PM
'It’s like having a child': Owners of diabetic pets face big costs

'It’s like having a child': Owners of diabetic pets face big costs

02 Dec 04:01 PM
Premium
Shane Te Pou: Dear Govt, find us a doctor who will say it's right to give Kiwis cancer to pay for tax cuts

Shane Te Pou: Dear Govt, find us a doctor who will say it's right to give Kiwis cancer to pay for tax cuts

02 Dec 04:00 PM
Toy trends for Christmas
sponsored

Toy trends for Christmas

About NZMEHelp & SupportContact UsSubscribe to NZ HeraldHouse Rules
Manage Your Print SubscriptionNZ Herald E-EditionAdvertise with NZMEBook Your AdPrivacy Policy
Terms of UseCompetition Terms & ConditionsSubscriptions Terms & Conditions
© Copyright 2023 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP