National leader Judith Collins says she'd take the blame for any border slip-ups

Natuonal leader Judith Collins arriving for a press conference with finance spokesman Paul Goldsmith, left, and health spokesman Dr Shane Reti at Parliament, Wellington. Photo / NZME

National is calling on the Government to extend the wage subsidy scheme by another four days to cover the extra days Auckland is in lockdown.

And leader Judith Collins says National would not allow Covid-19 into New Zealand without it being rapidly contained.

"I think that we can say that we will not allow it to be in a country, the New Zealand community, and not be able to be very quickly contained [it]."

But if there were an incursion, Collins said - as Prime Minister - she would take responsibility for it.

"We're saying any mistakes, it's fronted up and we're not going to sit there pointing fingers at each other saying, 'It's your fault, it's somebody's fault'.

"The fact is that is part of the ministerial responsibility."

Collins told media this morning the wage subsidy scheme should also be extended to cover the extra four days Auckland will stay in alert level 3.

After Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Cabinet's decision on alert levels yesterday she said the subsidy scheme wouldn't be extended by four days - despite the Finance Minister repeatedly saying it would be extended if Auckland stayed at level 3 longer than two weeks.

Ardern said the extension might mean more businesses met the 40 per cent revenue drop threshold to be eligible for the scheme.

She also said it wasn't a "simple exercise to simply tack-on additional [extension time]. It would require an entirely different process and regime."

Collins today called on the Government to reconsider this and said National would support them if they changed their minds.

Keeping Auckland in lockdown until 11.59pm on Sunday meant another weekend businesses had to be shut, which was particularly difficult for those in the hospitality and retail sectors.

"We've decided [an extension to the wage subsidy is] the kindest thing - and the most sensible and pragmatic thing - for the Government to do."

Finance spokesman Paul Goldsmith said he didn't think the situation had reached a point where businesses needed cash grants and National's position was the best way to continue support was through the wage subsidy.

Goldsmith said the Government couldn't tell businesses they cannot trade in the interest of public health without providing support.

And National's health spokesman Shane Reti is again asking for the Health Select Committee to reconvene to question the response to the outbreak after his request last week was shot down.

Committee chair Louisa Wall said she'd consulted with other members and there was not a majority in favour of having director general of health Ashley Bloomfield appear before it so there wasn't much point in reconvening.

Reti supported the move to make masks mandatory and agreed the international advice had matured over the last few months - and New Zealand's change in stance reflected that.