He referenced current fuel stocks as being robust, and said: "If, and only if, there is a risk of running out, would we go to demand-side restrictions". To date during the current global situation, he said the financial support announced by the government in response to the current crisis was targeted, timely, temporary and funded. Remember we're all human, all New ZealandersWhen it came to democracy, the Covid response was a lesson in "what not to do", Seymour said. Learn from the world - and don't reinvent the wheelNew Zealand's isolation was a big factor in the current fuel situation, similar to Covid, he believed. The government could see what was coming, it could take time to prepare, and watch what others did to plan New Zealand's response.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 30, 2026 19:48 UTC