My column to you this week is online only as our local Howick and Pakuranga Times papers have made the decision to close during the Covid-19 Alert Level 4 lock down.
By now I hope most of us are settling in to our new normal at home as we seek to kick the Covid-19 virus out of New Zealand and protect as many Kiwis as we can.
Some of us though continue to work on the frontlines as essential workers in businesses like supermarkets, gas stations, and pharmacies, not to mention our doctors, nurses, paramedics, lab test workers and all of their support staff putting their lives on the line every day.
Thank you to everyone in this position. It is the responsibility of the rest of us to ensure your dedication is respected by staying home and out of your way while you battle this threat on our behalf.
Last week as the government announced it would be putting New Zealand into lock down the National Party threw our full weight and support behind them to ensure we go forward as a united country.
This is simply no time for politics. Simon Bridges has offered the full services of our MPs and our staff for whatever may be needed over the next four weeks, and likely beyond, and I know you all will do your part as well.
This is an incredibly challenging time for New Zealand, and while it may not feel so bad to begin with, I know the pressures of staying at home for so long will eventually frustrate many of us.
What we all must continue to remind ourselves of is how important it is that we take advantage of this window of opportunity to stamp out the virus before it is too late.
Many countries around the world took too long to act and are seeing their healthcare services overwhelmed and many of their people dying, and we cannot allow this to happen here.
That means we must all take this lock down seriously and behave as if we have the virus already.
While my physical office has closed, my staff and I continue to work from home and you can contact us as normal for advice or assistance during this difficult time by calling 09 572 0000 or emailing PakurangaMP@parliament.govt.nz.
We have been fielding many many calls and emails over the last two weeks as everyone’s lives have been changed. Please feel free to get in touch any time and we will do everything we can to assist.
Stay safe everyone – stay home, and save lives.
Simeon Brown
MP for Pakuranga
