Returning Kiwis are all but certain to be paying towards their managed isolation soon, with National proposing a user-pays policy that echoes the same one Labour’s been signalling for the past month .
National’s Gerry Brownlee has confirmed his party will charge travellers $3000 to help cover the costs of quarantine should they be elected to Government.
Megan Woods, the Minister in charge of managed isolation and quarantine, says it’s “encouraging” to see the Opposition supporting the idea of charging travellers.
She says the Government is looking at any legal impediments that may affect a “fair and equitable” cost recovery system and will have more to say about their own plans “very soon”.
Meanwhile, across the Tasman, Melbourne is making face masks mandatory as the state tries to contain its soaring number of Covid-19 cases.
State officials have warned they will fine those not complying with the order to wear masks while out in public.
Some shops have seen long queues and are reporting “total chaos” as Melburnians rush to buy masks before the rule is enforced.
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Peters fires campaign shots
NZ First leader Winston Peters swung back into election campaign mode over the weekend after being briefly felled by raw meat .
Following a combative interview on TVNZ’s Q+A yesterday morning, Mr Peters spoke at his party’s campaign launch to outline their achievements in government.
He says NZ First has opposed the “woke pixie dust” of their coalition partners by accelerating good ideas and being a “handbrake for bad ones”.
Amongst other things, Mr Peters has pledged to cut immigration and boost the number of new front line police officers by 1000 over the next three years should NZ First be part of a coalition government following September’s election.
Meanwhile, the youth vote is in the spotlight with the news just 61 per cent of people aged under 24 are currently registered to vote.
Those campaigning to get young voters to the polls are hoping recent youth-led movements around climate change and the Black Lives Matter cause will boost voter turnout.
Term 3 brings tough times
The continued economic impact of Covid-19 is evident as a new school term begins today.
Schools surveyed by KidsCan are reporting more students arriving without enough food or warm clothes this winter, prompting the charity to provide a record 211 tonnes of food across the country – an increase of 40 per cent on last term.
Stuff has spoken to a couple of schools who can see their community living in a “pocket of fear” as they struggle to make ends meet.
There are concerns the situation will only get worse with economists warning a second wave of job cuts is starting to hit.
Northland mops up
Northland residents are surveying the full extent of the damage from the weekend’s deluge of rain in the area.
RNZ reports most people have now been able to return to their homes in the flooded small town of Moerewa now – but have found them strewn with mud and debris .
Moerewa is Civil Defence Minister Peeni Henare’s hometown and he’s described the flood scenes as “heart-breaking” .
He says it’s too soon to say how much Government financial assistance will be available to residents with local councils still assessing damage.
Time up for TikTok?
While TikTok is facing government-level intervention in some parts of the world, Netsafe is sounding its own warning about the popular social media app.
A recent survey found TikTok is the most used form of social media for Kiwi children under the age of 11, despite the app’s policy stating it’s only for those aged 13+.
Netsafe says young children’s usage of TikTok needs to be managed “very, very closely”.
Other news of note this morning:
A child has died and another is injured after a kayak capsized in the Waikato yesterday.
The Warehouse Group is closing its 92 stores this morning to discuss restructuring of the business with staff.
Police have made an arrest following a series of violent robberies in Hamilton last week.
Russia’s ambassador to Britain has rejected allegations his country’s intelligence services sought to steal information about a coronavirus vaccine.
The election hoardings are up and it appears no political party is safe from vandals .
Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield is set to face off against former National health spokesperson Michael Woodhouse in a rugby clash this weekend .
And Ringo Starr has revealed he may not have been one of The Beatles if it wasn’t for a stack of immigration forms .
And finally...
Princess Beatrice has turned to the Queen’s closet for her wedding.
The princess married Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in a small, private ceremony over the weekend and did so in the tiara her grandmother wore at her own wedding in 1947.
Princess Beatrice’s wedding gown was also on loan from the Queen, who first wore it to the premiere of Lawrence of Arabia in London in 1962.
Harper’s Bazaar has a shot of the original dress here for any fashion enthusiasts keen to see how it was remodelled for a 2020 royal bride.
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