The OIA shows that, since June 2021, a total of 1,637 NZ residents applied for an emergency spot in MIQ and were declined. We've all heard the stories of NZ citizens being stopped from returning home to see dying relatives, and similar stories of bureaucratic cruelty.
And we also know that the primary industries - deemed 'Essential' for good reason, and desperate for drivers, pickers, milkers and vets - were knocked back time and time again when pleading for larger MIQ allocations so they could keep providing much-needed earnings for the country.
So, Kiwi citizens and essential workers, 'No', DJs, 'Yes'. Needless to say, the priorities were all wrong.
