McAnulty KieranKIERAN McANULTY (Labour—Wairarapa): Thank you Mr Speaker. I wish to start by acknowledging the hard work of New Zealanders in the first lockdown and in this current lockdown. There's something special about this country. The teamwork that the people of New Zealand have shown to get through this and to get to the point where we are now where we have a genuine chance of eliminating COVID yet again must be acknowledged. At the forefront of that team are our frontline health workers. I want to acknowledge those that are working particularly hard in Auckland and those that are in Auckland that have done it so tough. But as the MP for Wairarapa I wish to acknowledge the frontline health workers in my electorate in Central Hawke's Bay in the Tararua district and in Wairarapa. Wairarapa is leading the country in the rates of full vaccination and it is down to the commitment of those workers and it is down to the teamwork of the people that live there. That I believe needs to be commended.We in Wairarapa know that whilst we are small we are not immune. We were the first region to have community transmission in the country but we were the first region to eliminate COVID at the last lockdown and we have not had a community case since then. That I think stands New Zealand out. But I think it is a shame that the Leader of the Opposition chooses to undermine that teamwork by coming out with I believe some outrageous statements today. It is utterly irresponsible for the Leader of the Opposition to suggest that there are new mutations of COVID that are less deadly. It is utterly irresponsible to suggest in my view that there should be no more lockdowns. What has stood New Zealand out from those overseas is that we have stuck together as a team. We have not protested in large numbers. We have recognised what needs to be done and just got on with it. What if half of the 6 percent of New Zealanders that want Judith Collins to be Prime Minister take this seriously and refuse to comply with the regulations? That is a not insignificant proportion of the country that could ruin it for the rest of us because they are listening to what she has to say. No wonder she has refused to attend Morning Report this morning. No wonder they have banned National MPs from talking to the media before coming to question time because those comments and those views are utterly irresponsible and they cannot be defended.I thought it was the reason to come down to Parliament. I thought the reason why they demanded to come here to travel down from level 4 to come to Parliament was to be able to have the opportunity to front up in front of the media. And today they refused their MPs and denied the opportunity to do so. I wonder if that's because they polled 21 percent. I actually think it's because they realise that their comments today are indefensible that they undermine the COVID response that they undermine the teamwork and hard work of so many New Zealanders. It was because of that teamwork and the lockdown and the elimination strategy that got New Zealand to the point where we had the largest economic growth in the OECD. It was because of that that got New Zealand to the point of having the lowest unemployment rate.They say they stand up for business but it is the strong health response of this Government that has delivered for business. It is their calls to loosen restrictions—and let's not forget they called for us to open up to China. They called for us to open up to Australia way earlier than it was safe. They even called for us to open up to Fiji although I note they haven't said that one for a while. All of those things would have undermined the achievements that the team of 5 million worked so hard to do. And I say that is why no one is listening to them because when they are listened to they say the indefensible they undermine our COVID response. What if New Zealand legitimately needed to go into lockdown yet again because of their attitude people say Oh well this isn't going to work."? That completely unravels the teamwork and the structure that this country has built over so many months. We have an opportunity to eliminate COVID if people stick to the guidelines. But listening to that rot people may consider that it is not worth it. And I say to the people of New Zealand: it is worth it the guidelines have worked so far. Stick to it get vaccinated. We will get back through this again. We'll be in level 1 if you follow the guidelines and ignore the rubbish that that side is telling you."