Covid-19: National Party leader Chris Luxon wants risk-based home isolation to start

National Party leader Chris Luxon says the current managed isolation system (MIQ) for returnees does not make sense and the borders should open with risk management.

Luxon told Morning Report most rooms occupied in MIQ were of double-vaxxed New Zealanders who had already tested negative to Covid-19.

"Our answer was not just open up the border, that we'd actually manage the risk through low, medium and high-risk countries.

"We also have New Zealanders suffering at home in home isolation with Covid, and so if we took the people in the MIQ facilities that are actually double-vaxxed with negative tests out, we could actually properly look after, through our MIQ system, people who genuinely need support."

Just before the current Delta outbreak, the government had announced that a new border system based on low, medium and high-risk entry paths would start in early 2022.

It also recently said fully vaccinated New Zealanders will be able to travel from Australia without having to quarantine from 11.59pm on 16 January. Foreign nationals follow from April onwards.

Luxon said he does not see why double-vaxxed New Zealanders who test negative to the virus, and coming from low-risk countries, should not already be isolating at home.

"For some reason ... they can't come home on December 15 and again, what's the problem? What's the obstacle that's causing that delay?

"Double-vaxxed Kiwis trying to get home for Christmas with a negative test don't need to be clogging up our MIQ system actually. We want them home isolating.

"We don't actually need them in an MIQ room, taking up a room that we could use for a New Zealander at in the community suffering with Covid or managing people from high-risk places."

Luxon also backs the Covid-19 vaccine mandates on certain professions like the border workforce, healthcare, and education.

Businesses should be supported to make their own decision around that by giving them a health and safety risk profile, he said.

Housing

In October, National and the government announced new housing density rules in a rare show of bipartisanship.

Luxon said they would be digest the feedback from the submissions.

"We want to make some amendments to the bill and we'll be talking with the government about that because I think if they can come on board with those amendments, great. If not, we'll revisit it. "

He also revealed yesterday that he owned seven houses.

Today he added that four are part of his investment portfolio and the others are a home, batch and apartment in Wellington.

Asked if he was playing a part in the housing crisis, he said that was unfair.

"What I can tell you is we need to get moving with building houses and opening things up. We've got a country the size of Japan and the UK with more populations in those places, and we've got more expensive house prices and so we've got to really tackle housing big time.

"You really have to think through how you unlock the infrastructure that supports the development of those houses."

Shane Reti on leadership race and his future

Former deputy leader Shane Reti, who was in his role alongside Judith Collins for just over a year, temporarily took over the reins when Collins was removed.

Reti told First Up he would miss his role of being by the leader's side but he now has a chance to focus on his new portfolio, whatever it may be.

"One door shuts then another one opens, and I'll just be really pleased to bring every skill I've learned around this new leadership and help them progress forward."

Reti would not reveal whether he backed Luxon or former leader Simon Bridges during the caucus meeting yesterday, but said the new leadership team have his full support now.

"Chris [Luxon] is actually a very good communicator as well, very honest, very upfront, very clear in his decision making."

While he would not disclose whether he himself took a run for the leadership role yesterday, he said took into consideration the "groundswell" of support from the public into his decision.

"I rechecked myself like I do often, 'Why am I here? What is my purpose?' And the mission always was to fight for the people of Whangārei, to fight for the people of Northland to fight for iwi, to fight for non-Māori, to fight for New Zealanders first and secondly to make a difference to the health system.

"It was with the groundswell of public support that became apparent to me through various polls, on Friday particularly, that I realised I could not be agnostic to that support. In fact, I needed to honour it by taking that support into account, and then added a third feature to the decision making I needed to make.

"And so for me it was then weighing everything up... And all of those things then led me to decision making [on whether to run for the leadership]."

The party was thrown into chaos when Judith Collins demoted Simon Bridges over a complaint about lewd comments made in 2016 in front of Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean.

Bridges had already apologised after a complaint was raised at the time and repeated his apology last week after the issue re-emerged.

Reti said the first communication on the incident was from Dean to Collins.

"We couldn't unhear what had been placed on the table and then set up a series of 'what should be done about this?'

"It was an allegation that re-emerged and it was looked at and weighted and then actions were talked about and it played out as it played out."

He said he was disappointed that some people have felt let down by the party.

"When we look back at the facts at the time as they were and the actions that were taken, one can always be wise in hindsight. But I'm disappointed if we have disappointed people and collectively we'll do our very best to make that up with this new leadership."

He plans to re-run in the next elections.

"The future for me is to continue to put down my shoulder to the wheel of the National Party caucus."