4. Question No. 4—TourismCHRIS BAILLIE (ACT) to the Minister of TourismQuestion No. 4—Tourism4. CHRIS BAILLIE (ACT) to the Minister of Tourism: Does he agree with the comment made by Eve Lawrence from Haka Tourism New Zealand that Off-shore travel partners just simply will not sell New Zealand and we'll be taken off the network"; if not what advice if any has he received that suggests that Eve Lawrence is wrong?Hon STUART NASH (Minister of Tourism): To the first part of that question no. To the second part of the question I have received the following advice and I quote: "Oh my goodness—I'm so happy I could sing. We finally have a plan. This gives suffering tourism hospitality and travel businesses the ability to plan and notify clients that they can travel again in 2002. I'm elated that we now have a plan. We can set our businesses up for operational activities for the 2022-23 season." That is from Eve Lawrence of Haka Tourism New Zealand.SPEAKER: Order! I think the member might have got a year wrong in the middle of that and he might want to say 2022 rather than 2002. Thank you.Chris Baillie: Does the Minister have a better understanding of the realities facing the tourism industry than industry leaders such as Eve Lawrence who said to the Government that New Zealand will be taken off the network and the industry will be decimated if tourists are still not able to enter New Zealand freely?Hon STUART NASH: Well Eve Lawrence also wrote that she was very happy that there's a plan and now they can start planning for operational activities for the 2022 and 2023 season. Chris Baillie: What would he say to the comments made by the owner of a large tourism provider that "The rest of the world is opening up and they are ready to travel. We need to announce to the rest of the world that we will be open for fully vaccinated people by the end of the year otherwise we will get left behind."?Hon STUART NASH: Well I think Minister Hipkins actually made an announcement around when we'd be open just this week. The other thing I would say is I don't want to diminish in any way shape or form the fact that the tourism industry and certainly those that are reliant on international visitors in a pre-COVID environment have done it really tough. But again as the Prime Minister and every Minister has reiterated we are taking very much a health-based approach to COVID. Our number one priority is the health and wellbeing of Kiwis.Chris Baillie: What would he say to the thousands of operators in the tourism and hospitality industry who over the last two years have been forced to use up all of their savings have endured countless sleepless nights worried about the future for themselves their families and their staff and believe that this Government has failed them?Hon STUART NASH: I disagree with the statement this Government has failed them. What I would say is the Government has spent nearly $500 million in this sector the most of any sector of the economy and that is outside of the wage subsidy and the COVID resurgence payment scheme. We have invested heavily in the sector. But I would not diminish the fact that for many in this sector the global pandemic that we find ourselves in has been incredibly tough. SPEAKER: Sorry before I call the next question—I have been under quite a lot of pressure especially from the major parties to allow more people into the Chamber. Part of the basis of doing that is that people wear their masks and that includes wearing their masks—no I'm not talking about the member because he's got the next question; that's fine—over their nose. Thank you Mr Smith and Dr Woods."