There seems to be no end to the privilege claimed by “El Woko Loco” in order to secure his queue-jumping spot in MIQ after his annual pilgrimage to “Playami” to pick up his boyfriend:
Green MP Ricardo Menendez March tried not once, but twice, to get an emergency spot in managed isolation, the first time as a “critical health service” and the second time as “required for national security”.
In a written parliamentary response to National MP Chris Bishop, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed that both applications for an emergency spot in managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) were declined.
Menendez March spent two weeks in MIQ after spending seven weeks in Mexico to be with his father who underwent major surgery and his step mum who has been battling breast cancer.
Green Party co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson say Menendez March sought approval to travel during the COVID-19 pandemic and followed the correct procedure – but questions were raised about why he sought an emergency spot in MIQ.
Spaces in MIQ are currently “extremely limited” due to high demand, according to the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), which oversees MIQ operations. The MIQ website shows spaces booked until May.
The written response from Hipkins shows Menendez March first applied for an emergency spot in MIQ on January 13 under category 2b.
It’s reserved for people whose entry to New Zealand is time-critical for the purpose of delivering specialist health services required to prevent serious illness, injury or death; or the maintenance of essential health infrastructure.
He then applied for a second time on January 15, under category 2d, for New Zealand and non-New Zealand citizens, where urgent travel is required for national security, national interest or law enforcement reasons.
Menendez March told RNZ’s Morning Report earlier this month he was “rightfully declined” an emergency spot in MIQ. He tried his luck by submitting an application, despite Kiwis across the globe desperately trying to get home.
“The emergency voucher is one that many New Zealanders apply and one that I was rightfully declined as most people who apply are. I was exploring the avenues that were possible and ended up using the MIQ website like everybody else does,” he said.
Newshub
So “El Woko Loco” couldn’t get a spot so he tried twice on spurious grounds to jump the queue. His first effort was pathetic, but his second was really stretching credulity.
This guy is taking the proverbial, and should be hounded out of his job. His is the woke version of “do you know who I am” syndrome coupled with false claims to jump the queue.
It is abundantly clear that it appears that strings have been pulled to get him a spot, involving both the CEO of MBIE and Chris Hipkins.
If it were a National MP who did this, we’d never hear the end of it.
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