Collins slates creation of ‘two-class’ system

National leader Judith Collins says she is against the Government creating a ‘‘two-class society’’ of the vaccinated and unvaccinated – but is comfortable with businesses barring the unvaccinated.

Her comments differ from those made by her Covid-19 spokesman, Chris Bishop, who said recently that greater freedoms for the vaccinated should be part of the path out of lockdowns.

Collins was attacking the Government’s planned traffic light system, which would allow many businesses to operate far more freely if they restricted entry to those who could show they had been double-vaccinated.

Under the orange light, for example, a restaurant that restricted entry to the vaccinated would be allowed to operate freely, while one that didn’t would only be able to offer contactless service such as pickup or delivery.

Collins was particularly critical of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s confirmation that this would create something of a twotier society, with the vaccinated enjoying privileges the unvaccinated do not. ‘‘Most Kiwis don’t want to see a two-class system and social disharmony,’’ Collins said. ‘‘We want people to be encouraged to have the right information. And the Government is sitting back and saying they didn’t do anything wrong but they, those people who didn’t get vaccinated, they’re the bad people.’’

Collins has previously called for vaccine certificates to be introduced and said businesses should have the right to deny service to those who were unvaccinated. She went as far as to say supermarkets and airlines should be able to do that if they wished to.

Bishop said two weeks ago that providing greater freedoms to vaccinated people should be part of the response.

‘‘It should be part of our pathway out of the current situation in Auckland, but it’s impossible to grant freedoms for vaccinated people if they can’t prove they’re vaccinated,’’ Bishop said.

Yesterday, Collins said she still supported vaccine certificates as businesses had a right to decide who entered their property.

‘‘Every business as we have said all the way through, has the right to decide who can come onto their premises.’’