While Gerry Brownlee acknowledges New Zealand's isolation facilities aren't prisons, he says it's "extraordinary" and "a bit concerning" that someone could abscond from one using a rope made of sheets.
Air Commodore Darryn Webb, the head of managed isolation and quarantine, revealed just before 6pm on Monday that a deportee who arrived from Australia absconded from the Ramada Federal St managed isolation facility by exiting a fourth-storey window and climbing down with a makeshift rope.
On-site security discovered the sheets at about 8:20am. At 8:24am, while the matter was being looked into, the man turned up at the front gate and was taken into custody by police.
As of Monday night, authorities had yet to establish what time the man left the facility and his exact movements. Initial enquiries didn't identify any particular businesses or properties entered by the individual.
Brownlee, the National Party's border response spokesperson, told Newshub that while it was good the person was found, questions remain.
"It's great that they have apprehended the guy, that they were able to work out when they saw sheets hanging out of a four-storey window that someone might have absconded. It was great that they seem to have relatively quickly reconnected with the guy," he said.
"The bit of a worrying bit is that they don't know how long he was gone for. Eight hours after the event, they still weren't able to say they were confident he hadn't visited nearby businesses or other places. I think that's a little bit slack."
He said it was "extraordinary" that as of Monday evening, it was still unclear who the man had been in contact with.
"You'd have to say it's not very crisp and, certainly, not the tight security you'd expect given we are trying to keep this virus out of the country and we, therefore, have quarantine to make sure people coming into the country don't pass it on," Brownlee told Newshub.
"I think it's a little bit extraordinary. For someone to have ripped up the sheets, knotted them into a rope, thrown that rope out of a window - which you'd assume they would have had to break the safety lock to get out - and then shimmy down that sheet rope and not be detected, I think that's a bit concerning.
"I would have thought there might be at least one person that was focusing on that particular side of the building."
The National Party MP said while the facilities aren't prisons, those residing in them for their 14-day quarantine stays must realise it is a "privilege" to enter New Zealand.
"You receive that privilege as a New Zealand citizen. But you have no right to bring COVID-19 with you and therefore you have to oblige the rest of us by going into quarantine."
Webb said on Monday night that the man is in custody at the facility and under questioning. As part of police enquiries, CCTV is being reviewed to establish the man's movements outside the facility.
"Security at the facility has been reviewed and immediate improvements have been made following this incident," Webb said.
The COVID-19 health risk to other members of the public is low, Webb said.
"The man returned from Australia on a deportation flight on September 16, and tested negative following his day three and day 12 tests. He is on day 12 of his stay. He has been asymptomatic throughout his stay.
"Among deportees returning from Australia, there have not been any positive COVID-19 cases confirmed."
He said exiting the fourth-storey window and climbing down via the makeshift rope was "clearly an extremely dangerous act".
"This person has put themselves and others at potential risk and their actions were unacceptable. Wilfully leaving our facilities will not be tolerated, and the appropriate action will be taken.
"There are rules in place for every single returnee and we expect people to follow these during their 14 day stay in managed isolation. This is so they can return to the community safely, while ensuring the safety of all New Zealanders."
Webb said more than 55,000 people have been through isolation facilities, with just nine incidents of people absconding.
"These incidents are rare and we treat them extremely seriously," he said.
Brownlee, however, told Newshub it only takes one case for a new outbreak to occur.
The National Party is advocating for a Border Protection Agency to "unify the Government response to securing our border" rather than relying on what it calls current "ad-hoc" arrangements.
