Secularistic Government Stomps Down on Churches

Covid 19 Coronavirus: Parties Clash Over Funerals

Jacinda Ardern is like 'Muldoon with slogans', say National Party

Derek Cheng
NZ Herald

Political consensus in the fight against Covid-19 is on the verge of falling apart, with the Opposition slamming the Government for its "inhumane" limit on funeral and religious gatherings under alert level 2.  One senior National MP last night described Jacinda Ardern as being like "Muldoon with slogans".

But Ardern has defended the 10-person limit at funerals because of public health concerns, citing mass gatherings at services overseas that had led to new coronavirus outbreaks.  Those concerns increased for funerals and tangi, she said, because of people's tendencies to hug each other for comfort when they are grieving.

National Party leader Simon Bridges said today it was time Kiwis were treated like adults and trusted to do the right thing.  "It's not just unkind. it's inhumane. If you can socially distance at a movie theatre with 99 other people you can do the same at a funeral or a church," Bridges told Mike Hosking on Newstalk ZB.


Until now, the National Party has disagreed with the Government on aspects of the response, but voted in support of all of its Covid-related legislation.  That changed last night as National voted against a bill that set up the legal framework for future alert levels, which it described as enabling "executive overreach" in a way that didn't trust New Zealanders.

The Covid-19 Public Health Response Bill was rushed through most of its legislative stages under urgency, with the support of Labour, NZ First, the Greens and Act.  . . .

In his first reading speech, National MP Michael Woodhouse condemned the bill for being rushed through under urgency, and said Ardern was "Rob Muldoon with slogans and kindness."  He said an order from the Health Minister could be made without needing to have regard to health advice from the country's top health official.  "That is the classic case of executive overreach."

Legislating for physical distancing, he said, showed a general mistrust of New Zealanders.  "We are going to make a law about how close I can get to members of this house. Why don't they make a law about sneezing into your sleeve or washing your hands? 

"That's where we've got to. The Government doesn't trust Kiwis."