What has, unfortunately, occurred repeatedly over time is that the Minister has leaned on COVID-19 as a convenient sole excuse for a department that has long performed appallingly and is only getting worse. Migrants and employers are well aware that the problems at Immigration New Zealand started well before the pandemic. As a co-owner of an immigration law firm, I myself have seen a department that is steadily falling apart at the seams, and the negative impact that this has had on migrants and businesses over the years.