1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,080 Speaker 1: So Part two with the COVID inquiry has been released. 2 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:04,480 Speaker 1: It said, basically, what you thought, the initial response was 3 00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:06,240 Speaker 1: balanced because no one had a clue, but by the 4 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:08,039 Speaker 1: time they did, the power had gone to the government's 5 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:10,079 Speaker 1: head and mistakes were being made. Anger was building in, 6 00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:12,440 Speaker 1: money was being wasted. Sitming in Browns the Health minister, 7 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:15,360 Speaker 1: good morning, Good morning Mike. Is that a fair summation? 8 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:17,799 Speaker 2: I think so. I mean, I think for most New 9 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:20,440 Speaker 2: Zealanders that agreed that the starting point of the response, 10 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:23,479 Speaker 2: New Zealand's were on board. They sacrificed a huge amount 11 00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:27,639 Speaker 2: to save lives and livelihoods. But as the pandemic continued, 12 00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 2: restrictions went on for too long. And what this report 13 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:33,960 Speaker 2: highlights is those restrictions went on beyond what health advice 14 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:38,680 Speaker 2: said they should, and the government spent too much, causing 15 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:41,360 Speaker 2: many of the challenges that we're facing today in terms 16 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:44,040 Speaker 2: of inflation and the economic impacts that we're still dealing 17 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 2: with across New Zealand right now. 18 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:48,760 Speaker 1: And does this prove that the value we needed Part two? 19 00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:51,280 Speaker 1: Because Part one was a stitch up, which is ironic 20 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 1: given the control freak government tried to control Freak themselves 21 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:55,560 Speaker 1: through the first COVID inquiry. 22 00:00:56,240 --> 00:00:59,480 Speaker 2: Look, absolutely this report was needed. The previous government did 23 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:03,280 Speaker 2: not want the hard questions to be answered in relation 24 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 2: to the big cause. The first report didn't look at lockdowns, 25 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:09,000 Speaker 2: didn't look at the vaccine mandates, didn't look at the 26 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:12,360 Speaker 2: economic impact. And the reality for New Zealand is that 27 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:16,120 Speaker 2: those lockdowns were significant the economic impact. We're still paying 28 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:20,319 Speaker 2: the consequences of that today. And of course there's been 29 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:24,880 Speaker 2: some issues raised in relation to particularly childhood or teenage 30 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:28,920 Speaker 2: vaccine mandates that have been brought to the light because 31 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:31,880 Speaker 2: of this report. So this report was needed. It highlights 32 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 2: some significant lessons and listening to Cchross Haipkins yesterday, it 33 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 2: appears he hasn't learned from them. 34 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:38,759 Speaker 1: No, that's how I'm talking to him later. I worry 35 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:40,640 Speaker 1: about that because I mean, what else can you do. 36 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:43,000 Speaker 1: I mean, he took a beating yesterday because all of 37 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:45,240 Speaker 1: his cohorts run for the hills. One doesn't even love 38 00:01:45,240 --> 00:01:47,119 Speaker 1: in the country anymore. In the others down south at 39 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:49,440 Speaker 1: the university, and Ashley's not talking. 40 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:53,680 Speaker 2: Well ultimately, you know. The statement from the former Prime 41 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:55,560 Speaker 2: Minister c Cinda Adan and Grant Robinson said that they 42 00:01:55,600 --> 00:01:58,800 Speaker 2: accepted all of the accepted the report and its entirety. 43 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:02,040 Speaker 2: Chris Hopkins is saying he doesn't. What that says is 44 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:04,400 Speaker 2: that he hasn't actually learned the lessons from his time 45 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 2: as Prime Minister. And what it says is New Zealanders 46 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:08,520 Speaker 2: were right to vote him out at the twenty twenty 47 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:11,400 Speaker 2: three election, and in November the seventh, they'll be right 48 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:12,080 Speaker 2: to keep him out. 49 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:14,720 Speaker 1: See that's when I can't work out, do you reckon 50 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:17,760 Speaker 1: people are over it and don't want to revisit it, 51 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:19,919 Speaker 1: or people are still in the quiet of the ballot 52 00:02:19,919 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 1: box angry about it and will act in that sense. 53 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:25,000 Speaker 2: Oh. Look, I think this was some of the biggest 54 00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:29,680 Speaker 2: decisions affecting New Zealander's lives and livelihoods in generations. People 55 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 2: remember this deeply, they feel it deeply. I'm an MP 56 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:36,359 Speaker 2: in an Auckland electorate, in MP for Puckehunger. The people 57 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:39,120 Speaker 2: in my electorate couldn't see their loved ones who were 58 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:43,040 Speaker 2: in hospital dying. They couldn't go and visit family members 59 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 2: outside of Auckland who were who were very unwell. These 60 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:49,919 Speaker 2: came to st help from me and they are still 61 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:52,160 Speaker 2: feeling angry about the decisions that were made, and what 62 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 2: this report says is those lockdowns did go on too long. 63 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:58,360 Speaker 2: That restriction that boundary around Auckland in twenty one twenty 64 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:03,600 Speaker 2: two wasn't necessary. That impacted people's lives. It impacted their livelihoods, 65 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 2: and the right thing for Chris Hipkins to do is 66 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:10,200 Speaker 2: to learn the lessons. That's why we did this report. 67 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:12,280 Speaker 1: Appreciate your time, Swimming and Brown Health Minister. 68 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:15,760 Speaker 2: For more from the mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to 69 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:18,919 Speaker 2: news talks that'd be from six am weekdays, or follow 70 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:20,520 Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio