The Prime Minister says the tight timeframe given to disability support providers to give feedback on mask mandates wasn't reasonable.
The Ministry of Disabled People last week emailed disability support providers asking for feedback on a proposal to pull back requirements on mask-wearing. Masks would only be mandated in some high-risk environments, like aged care and hospitals, under the proposal.
The 24 hour timeframe to respond was criticised as inadequate by disabled communities and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Friday clarified the Government was yet to make any decisions about scrapping mask requirements. However, she did acknowledge the public health advice ministers eventually receive "builds over quite a period of time".
Speaking to AM on Monday morning, Ardern said that considering Cabinet hasn't made any moves on changing the rules "there's not really a good reason for there to have been such a tight turnaround".
"We're very aware of the concerns of our immunocompromised Kiwis, New Zealanders with disabilities, over the use of masks and COVID protections generally," she said.
"Obviously, the Ministry for Disabled People has gone out and done its own outreach. The timeframes for that didn't feel very reasonable to me and, ultimately, that's feedback that they will be giving them."
Poto Williams, who became the Disability Issues Minister in June, told Newshub Nation on Saturday that more time should have been given for consultation.
"The ministry was asked to collect feedback earlier this week, which they've done so, and it's really important that we acknowledge that the disability community is impacted - and they certainly have a view and it's important that view is provided to Cabinet," she said.
"I personally would have preferred more time to make sure that the views were widely canvassed. In saying that Whaikaha - the Ministry of Disabled People - went to key stakeholder groups… and will provide that information and advice to ministers."
According to the Otago Daily Times, the Ministry of Disabled People said it was carrying out the work at the request of the Ministry of Health and working within its timeframes.
Cabinet will be considering New Zealand's COVID-19 restrictions next week; a post-winter review that has been long signalled. A shift to the Green setting - where most requirements are dropped - could be on the cards.
Ardern said on Monday that while the Government does consider public compliance when conducting COVID-19 reviews, "it's not the primary basis of those decisions".
"We will be, as I've indicated though, at the next review, looking at all of our settings, making sure that we are keeping in mind those settings that are most needed to continue to keep people safe as we continue to manage COVID-19."
She suggested last week that ministers would look to see if the traffic light settings were still fit for purpose.
"We are reviewing our COVID rules so we have a regular process of looking at what our current case numbers are, pressure on our hospital system," Ardern said.
"We are also looking at our settings more broadly. We've been working with the traffic light system for upwards of a year now so now is the time for us to look at whether all those settings are fit for purpose. We include mask use in this analysis."
