Opposition leader Judith Collins has given few details about what National would do differently to secure the border from Covid-19 in a robust interview this morning.
Speaking on TVNZ's Q + A programme today, Collins said a National Government would not promise to secure the border from Covid 19 and then fail to deliver.
But when repeatedly pressed by presenter Jack Tame on what, as Prime Minister, she would do differently to Labour to protect the border, the National leader had few details.
"Right now I would make sure I had a system that worked at the border," said Collins, adding the party's border policy will be released this week.
"We will not be making promises without being able to deliver on it.
"We believed, like five million New Zealanders, when the Government said and the Prime Minister said that they had a secure border," Collins said.
Asked if National would make face masks compulsory in Auckland, Collins said if that was the advice from medical experts: "yes".
One thing National would do, said Collins, would be to keep the Opposition fully informed about what was happening, like National did with the Labour Opposition during the fuel crisis in 2017.
Queues of motorists waiting to be tested in Auckland. Photo / Herald
Collins said it was important to have an elimination strategy, but said the country could not afford to be in lockdown, "yo-yo ing in and out of lockdown".
"We will have confidence in our borders and also have confidence in the contact tracing. We will have confidence that we will have enough masks and gloves for our frontline workers, which is something the Government has yet again failed on.
"We would have a far more competent system and make sure it worked ... we would not promise and fail to deliver," she said.
Collins said she had confidence in medical officer of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield.
Asked by Tame if the public could trust the party that weeks ago leaked private patient information of people with Covid, Collins said that was a ridiculous comment and had been dealt with.
Tame raised the issue of deputy leader Gerry Brownlee repeatedly implying the Government knew more than it was letting on about Covid transmission.
Collins said Brownlee had apologised for using his words unwisely, saying he was simply reflecting the level of anxiety and concern by the public.
National deputy leader Gerry Brownlee. Photo / Mark Mitchell
"What we know is the Government was not telling us about the level of security they had at the border or the level of security they had for the staff working there," she said.
Tame also asked Collins how long before the Prime Minister's press conference she was briefed about the latest Covid outbreak.
Collins said she was briefed 30 minutes before the press conference, adding she had all sorts of allegations made towards her by Labour MPs that she must have known earlier about the latest outbreak.
She said she told her deputy Gerry Brownlee before the 9.15pm press conference last Tuesday and no-one else.
In a tense exchange, Collins wanted to know from Tame why he was asking the question, saying "you are actually doing exactly what you have accused Gerry Brownlee of doing".
