The purpose for this petition is to plea with the New Zealand Government, in particular Minister Hipkins to PLEASE RECONSIDER THE PROCESS FOR THE CURRENT MIQ BOOKING SYSTEM.

At the moment, due consideration has not been given to those who have immigrated to New Zealand, taxpayers who live and work in Aotearoa separated from loved ones who live overseas such as aging parents and partners who have had to return to home countries for family funerals and can't get a space to return home to New Zealand. In addition these tax payers have to pay while those that have recently holiday'd in Sydney do not! 

The MIQ system lacks criteria meaning that those struggling mentally and emotionally with being separated from family overseas (for coming up to 3-years now) are in a pool of high-demand, low supply vying for an MIQ space with New Zealanders who live overseas and or those taking holidays or traveling for business purposes. The mental anguish of an already distressing situation is magnified by a system that doesn’t prioritise New Zealanders living in and contributing to New Zealand, having played a part in the team of 5 million. 

I am pleading with you, Minister Hipkins to PLEASE consider a review of the MIQ booking system, setting out a criterion that prioritises and includes New Zealanders that live in Aotearoa and need to be reunited with families overseas or return having have to leave urgently to attend funerals. 

If the supply isn't there people can't be punished (it's emotionally brutal) any longer and systems should be put in place to allow independent home isolation. 

People with full time jobs are having to check the booking system for the release of new dates several times a day, hitting refresh and stress and anxiety mounts. 

Please put those reuniting with families ahead of business travel and holidays. Please remember that New Zealanders living in New Zealand should have equal rights to those New Zealanders that live outside of the country - there's been very little dialogue or acknowledgment of NZ'ers with families overseas. 

We're all grateful to be safe in New Zealand but how much longer are we going to fail to see the looming mental health crisis brought about circumstantially by a flawed, unethical system?