Well, yes. But it's more than just tourists we're talking about when it comes to international travel and bubbles. It's students, business people and families.
I understand the transtasman one is possibly an issue if Australia are the ones holding it up. But what I can't understand is the lack of a Pacific one.
I mean a Pacific bubble makes good sense doesn't it?
They want one, they'd benefit from it greatly – but so would we.
Tata Crocombe, from the Rarotongan Beach Resort & Lagoonarium, is stunned the Cook Islands isn't the first country to be considered for opening borders. Photo / RNZ
As Fletcher Melvin of the Cooks private sector taskforce pointed out yesterday, we financially support the Pacific Islands anyway. Wouldn't we rather do it now with some tourism and hospitality than have to bail them out later on?
Also, practically it makes sense. They have no cases, we have no cases. Where's the risk?
Finance Minister Grant Robertson was defending the Government's slow pace to establish travel bubbles yesterday, he argued they're "actively working on it". But they want certain criteria drawn up and probably a lot of rules and restrictions - because that's how they roll. No one loves micro-managing stuff more than this Government.
But why is Australia the Government's priority, over the Pacific Islands?
And we, the Cooks, Tokelau and Niue have zero cases.
Cynics would say it's about money. The Government stands to benefit more from Australians coming here to spend, and transtasman business, than it does us all trucking off for a few cocktails at a Raro resort.
The Government's not exactly going as "hard and as early" with the travel bubbles as it claimed to go on locking us down. But locking us down was the easy bit, opening us back up was always going to be tougher.
Kate Hawkesby. Photo / Michael Craig
Look, I don't doubt there aren't those in their ear, namely the epidemiologist, whispering conspiracy theories and second wave virus fears. But, at some point, we have to accept it's over in this part of the world.
Yes, we're lucky. Yes, we did well. But let's not tank our tourism any further than is necessary if we can help it.
And let's not put our Pacific neighbours through any unnecessary financial burden and hardship if we can help that too.
The clue to the Government's true motives for not loosening these restrictions was in Robertson's words yesterday where he said that Kiwis have "a great opportunity to see our own country" in the meantime.
If you wondered where their priority was, domestic tourism appears to be it.
Problem is, the international spend is what is needed.
