A Government minister has received special treatment, leaping ahead of the tens of thousands of Kiwis desperate to get home who've missed out on managed isolation rooms.
After failing to get a spot through the lottery, Climate Minister James Shaw and his entourage got a room anyway to return from a climate conference in Glasgow - but no one told Shaw.
Little Nevaehly is her grandmother's world but Lyn Graham's spine is starting to fuse. It's really painful and she needs help.
They've tried for months to get home her son Lani, who's in Sydney to play for the Roosters in the NRL.
They're among tens of thousands who missed out on one of the 5000 rooms in Monday's release.
Climate change minister James Shaw was also among them, trying to get 10 spots from him and his entourage after attending climate change talks in Glasgow.
However only one of the diplomats got a place, leaving Shaw stuck in New Zealand.
"At the moment I'm waiting to find out I've got a spot and if I don't have a spot, I won't be going," Shaw told Newshub.
However, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern got involved, ensuring the delegation would get MIQ spots.
"Yes we're all facing a global pandemic but climate change is still the most significant threat that we face for decades to come," she said.
"We have of course the ability to do small group booking allocations."
The problem is, she didn't tell the Minister.
Shaw is only the second minister to travel overseas during the pandemic but he'll be using the same allocation that brought in the Lion King cast, the Wiggles, the Avatar crew and more than 700 people for the America's Cup
ACT leader David Seymour said: "Captain Planet was a hero but James Shaw sadly isn't taking pollution down to zero - he's actually raising it by flying over there and potentially bringing COVID back to boot."
The decision also added insult to injury for all those Kiwis struggling to get home.
