Jacinda Ardern faces fury as NZ allowed Google chief into country despite closed border

Alex Jones discusses husband travelling from New Zealand

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The co-founder of the multinational technology company was allowed an exemption from the border closure so his son could receive medical attention. However, Jacinda Ardern has faced a backlash after admitting Mr Page was allowed into New Zealand without her knowledge.

Mr Page and his wife Lucinda Southworth have been living in Fiji throughout the Covid pandemic.

But his son required medical treatment, and the Google co-founder wanted his young child to be treated in an Auckland hospital.

Mr Page and his son were reportedly evacuated aboard a New Zealand air ambulance.

Immigration New Zealand general manager of border and visa operations, Nicola Hogg, said that Mr Page “met relevant requirements’ to be approved entry.”

Speaking to AFP, Ms Hoff admitted Mr Page is not a permanent resident of New Zealand.

She added: “Citizenship is a matter for the Department of Internal Affairs.

“Due to privacy reasons, we are unable to comment further without a privacy waiver.”

Health minister Andrew Little, during a grilling in Parliament, said an application was approved in January for a child, accompanied by an adult, to be medicated from Fiji.

He said anyone accepted for treatment is considered to require immediate care and could not be treated locally, and added: “I’m advised all of the normal steps occurred in this case.”

Ms Ardern told reporters on Thursday morning she was not aware Mr Page had been in New Zealand, and added “nor would I be”.

She added: “We have roughly, in any given year, roughly 100 medevacs into New Zealand.

‘The decision for a patient to be part of a medevac is made by clinicians.

“I’m not advised of every single individual … at any given time because politicians do not make those decisions, nor should they.”

David Seymour, leader of New Zealand’s opposition ACT Party, called on Ms Ardern’s Government to be open about Mr Page’s visit.

He said: “The Government has questions to answer about why billionaire Google co-founder Larry Page was allowed into New Zealand when desperate Kiwis and separated families can’t get through the border.”

He added that while he had sympathy for Mr Page’s situation, other New Zealand nationals could not enter the country.

He then said: “I have had to tell them, ‘sorry, but there is no way you can get through the border, Government policy will not allow it’.

“New Zealanders stranded overseas who are desperate to get home deserve answers.”

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