Matthew Hooton: Plan on borders staying closed until 2022 14 Jan, 2021 04:00 PM 6 minutes to read Back in June 2020 Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says New Zealand is in a privileged position due to its "hard-won gains", and opening the borders up while the pandemic was escalating came at a potential price. Back in June 2020 Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says New Zealand is in a privileged position due to its "hard-won gains", and opening the borders up while the pandemic was escalating came at a potential price. NZ Herald No doubt everything will be all right in the end, but it seems we're doomed in early 2021 to re-watch the same political pantomime we endured in early 2020.