Part Two
Recently the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that Aucklanders will be allowed to travel for Christmas, if they are either fully vaccinated or have returned a negative Covid-19 test within 72 hours.
Ardern said police would enforce the rules with the likes of spot checks.
It was reported that “Tai Tokerau Border Control chief executive” Hone Harawira was totally opposed to this decision.
What a wonderful way to try and legitimise a totally Bu—sh— position, give it a title and report it as if it is an official appointment.
So who appointed this Chief Executive, or is it as I suspect a self-aggrandising, own appointment. The only thing missing from this is the Sheriffs badge from the cereal box.
He has been reported as saying: “In the same way spot checks don’t stop drunken driving; spot checks won’t stop the spread of Covid either. The only way to do it is with hard borders and full vaccination or turn around and go home.”
Our wonderful Woke Police Commissioner Andrew Coster has since confirmed visitors heading north can expect to be stopped in order to protect vulnerable communities – effectively throwing spot checks out the window.
“With the support of iwi, police will set up and manage checkpoints to confirm that those travelling from Auckland meet the requirements,” Coster said.
“Police will be very mindful of traffic flows, but the public can expect they may be stopped and spoken to by police.”
So he is now overriding the Prime Minister and going to set policy for travel to Northland based on the rantings of a self-appointed Border Control chief executive.
But then later a police spokeswoman clarified his statement to explain that this does not mean all cars will be stopped,
But the Police Commissioner said there would be a low tolerance for people attempting to travel north without meeting the requirements, and he urged people to follow the rules.
Harawira said he was grateful police had come to the party on checkpoints, but he still wants more, saying only fully vaccinated visitors should be allowed to come north.
He also said he wasn’t worried if the checkpoints mean long traffic jams, or Aucklanders having to turn around and go home.
Harawira stated: “It’s not my decision to open the borders, that’s somebody else’s, and I think it’s the wrong decision. I think somebody should be sending a message that if you’re not fully vaccinated then you shouldn’t be coming north.”
The so-called Tai Tokerau Border Control – and Harawira, do not speak for New Zealanders and have no right to stop the freedom of movement of any citizens and they should follow the rules like everyone else.
Oh but I forgot; this looney left government has given them their own set of rules based on their ethnic background that actually does give them the right to stop the freedom of movement of the general public.
Former NZ First MP and Northland resident Shane Jones spoke out saying he was against the checkpoints both philosophically and because of the traffic chaos likely to ensue and also for the sake of business survival.
He fears the checkpoints will put Aucklanders off Tai Tokerau, causing them to head elsewhere, like Coromandel or Bay of Plenty.
Jones asked: “What profit is there in saving lives whilst destroying livelihoods? Especially when those vulnerable people are the ones who won’t get vaccinated.”
Jones – who said he fully supported vaccination – believed Tai Tokerau would never get to 90 per cent vaccination because too many people had decided against the jab.
“The problem is not the Aucklanders coming north, it’s the Northlanders who refuse to get vaccinated,” he said.
Harawira said the health and wellbeing of Tai Tokerau residents was bigger than the needs of business, although he said he did empathise with their desire to get customers.
He suggested, with a laugh, that Christmas should be moved to March 2022, allowing more time for everyone to enjoy a celebration once vaccination goals were reached.
“What’s more important – a holiday, or keeping everyone safe for another year?”
So now we have got a situation where the Prime Minister has given the OK for travel around Christmas under certain rules; the so-called Tai Tokerau Border Control chief executive” Hone Harawira has opposed this decision; the government has passed legislation to allow the set-up of Iwi border control points and then the Police Commissioner has stated that he will enforce the Iwi led checkpoints no matter what the Prime Minister has declared.
In the whole of this matter the only person that has actually come out with some common sense statements is former NZ First MP and Northland resident Shane Jones who has rightly stated that traffic chaos will ensue and that this will quite likely put many people off coming to Northland causing them to head elsewhere, like Coromandel or Bay of Plenty.
This will more than likely be the last straw that breaks the back of many of the businesses in Northland that rely on visitors to survive and as he said; “The problem is not the Aucklanders coming north, it’s the Northlanders who refuse to get vaccinated”.
So now we have a particular section of the population, identified by their ethnic background (Iwi), that have been granted the right under legislation to set up roadblocks and impede the general movement of law abiding citizens as long as they have at least one police officer present.
Any way you read this; it comes out as Apartheid!!! Legislation based on race, and that is anathema to most New Zealanders and the beginning of the end for Democracy in New Zealand.
Andy Loader