11. Question No. 11—ImmigrationERICA STANFORD (National—East Coast Bays) to the Minister of ImmigrationQuestion No. 11—Immigration11. ERICA STANFORD (National—East Coast Bays) to the Minister of Immigration: Does he stand by his statement many members in this House will know just how much demand there is on managed isolation"; if so what advice if any has he received that improving utilisation of managed isolation and quarantine capacity could support the reunification of split migrant families?Hon KRIS FAAFOI (Minister of Immigration): To the first part of the question yes; to the second I'm regularly advised by the Minister for COVID-19 Response that demand for managed isolation continues to be high and it is expected to be at full capacity well into this year. Utilisation rates of available spaces in managed isolation are currently already very high but we are always looking for ways to improve and refine our processes to give us more options. It's important for the House to note that New Zealanders trust the Government to maintain the system as our first and best defence against COVID while the vaccine is being rolled out.Erica Stanford: Why then have 126 members of the Lion King production been allowed into New Zealand while nurses who arrived to meet our critical healthcare needs have been separated from their partners and children for a year?Hon KRIS FAAFOI: The application that the member speaks of is under the "other exceptions" tranche of visas that were introduced as of June last year. Since that time 6500 exceptions in the "other" category have been approved; 1800 for research and development; 1300 for primary industries; and 335 for manufacturing. While the member might want to focus on a small number of entertainers I'd also note that the hotels the bars and the restaurants that will benefit from that particular production happening are desperately calling out for this kind of business.Erica Stanford: Can he explain how a migrant nurse who left New Zealand last month is now returning as a critical healthcare worker with her family taking up two managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) rooms which would have only been one room had he allowed her family to travel here without her?Hon KRIS FAAFOI: As has already been mentioned I think last week there is an anomaly within the system which we are currently looking at and we also thank the 4500 critical health workers that we have brought into the country since the borders closed.Erica Stanford: Point of order Mr Speaker. I don't think that he addressed the specific question that I asked. The anomaly has got nothing to do with the question. SPEAKER: I'll get the member to ask it again. I thought he came very close; if he didn't—but ask the question again and I can check the answer.Erica Stanford: Can he explain how a migrant nurse who left New Zealand last month is now returning as a critical healthcare worker with her family taking up two MIQ rooms—SPEAKER: Order! I'm going to stop the member now. I'm going back to what the Minister said and he did address the question. All he had to do is say yes and he had.Erica Stanford: Has he received advice that a trans-Tasman bubble would allow him to reunite migrant nurses with their families without those nurses having to leave New Zealand and their jobs in a sector that is critically short-staffed?Hon KRIS FAAFOI: As I said in the answer to the primary question we continually and regularly get advice from the Minister for COVID-19 Response about the utilisation of managed isolation spaces and if we can do better in some of those processes and what we might be able to do for many people who would like to come into New Zealand but cannot at the moment because of the very limited amount of managed isolation spaces available."