Luxon says National doesn't support traffic light system

December 3, 2021

The new National leader says the new Covid-19 Protection Framework which started on December 3 "makes no sense".

New National leader Christopher Luxon says the party doesn't support the Covid-19 Protection Framework, commonly known as the traffic light system, which started on Friday.

While visiting businesses in Auckland on Friday, Luxon told media the system "makes no sense".

"This sector here is ready for Auckland to go straight to Green because if you follow the logic of the traffic light system Red is for when we have an overwhelmed healthcare system, Orange obviously under some pressure and Green fine," he said.

Christopher Luxon went walk about in the city to listen to the hospitality industry's frustrations.

"There's just no logic to this traffic light system at all and here today, you know, these guys have been out of operation for over 100 days."

Areas starting in Red are Northland, Auckland, Taupō, Rotorua Lakes, Kawerau, Whakatāne, Ōpōtiki, Gisborne, Wairoa, Rangitīkei, Whanganui and Ruapehu districts.

All other regions would be in Orange.

Find out what these new rules mean here.

"It makes no sense, frankly, the whole of the South Island being in Orange and that's our issue with the traffic light system," Luxon said.

"Again it's another example of a Government that's just doing things on the fly and making it up as it goes and it's always johnny-come-lately, right, it's always never quite thought through."

New National Party leader Chris Luxon.

Luxon added that other places, like Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, had systems working "seamlessly" while in New Zealand everything was "way too late".

"Frankly, we don't support the traffic light system. Our view is very clear that when we can get to a high level of double vaccination we're good to go and we have to open up the country and get going. We can do that safely and with good precautions.

"We had a good 2020, but we've had a really terrible 2021 - that's because the Government has wasted the opportunity to get ready for it.

"We've got to be able to open the country up and get people moving."

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