Barry Soper: Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent on the findings from the Covid-19 response inquiry

The Government's turning a spotlight on Chris Hipkins over newly released Covid inquiry findings. 

The Royal Commission's second phase report's found overall that New Zealand responded well, but highlighted concerns - including the length of Auckland's lockdown. 

Health Minister Simeon Brown says it shows the previous Government extended the Auckland lockdown, in spite of official advice saying it was safe to lift.

Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says the Covid period was tough on New Zealand, and it's important the impacts aren't forgotten. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Barry Sober, our senior political correspondent, is.

Speaker 2 (00:02):
With us Alo Berry. Good afternoon, Heather.

Speaker 1 (00:04):
It's been a hot topic of debate today, isn't it.

Speaker 2 (00:06):
Well, it has, and I've got to say personally, has
brought back some terrible memories of what the time was like,
particularly in the long lockdown here in Auckland that we
now understand. The official said it didn't have to be
lockdown as long as it was, but nevertheless they kept
us in a prison like situation and it really was
people who were distrustful of their neighbors. It was just awful.

(00:29):
So the motion on the Royal Commission's COVID findings was
moved of course by the Health Minister Simeon Brown, who
was followed by Labour's COVID minister at the time and
the former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins. Have a listen.

Speaker 3 (00:44):
The Royal Commission finds that restrictions extended beyond what public
health advice recommended. Decisions meant that kiwi's were separated from family,
people could not be at the bedside of dying loved ones,
and funerals were held without family present. Businesses closed and
children stayed home from school for months. Mental health services
were overwhelmed and many New Zealanders are still living with

(01:05):
these consequences today. The Commission finds former ministers chose to
keep Auckland an alert level for lockdown against public health
advice and unredacted Cabinet papers obtained by the Royal Commission
also revealed that former ministers kept an Auckland boundary in
place over Christmas and New Year, against the explicit advice
of the Ministry of Health. The Commission finds that economic

(01:25):
buffers were depleted and the debt that accumulated has left
New Zealand with less room to respond to future shocks.
And a direct quote sums up what I think is
a high quality report. Quote evidence shows New Zealand had
had one of the best pandemic responses in the world
end quote by a further quote by many measures altero

(01:50):
in New Zealand's response to the pandemic was enviable.

Speaker 4 (01:54):
We recorded lower case numbers and fewer COVID nineteen deaths
per capita than nearly all all comparable countries.

Speaker 2 (02:03):
But we would wouldn't we. I mean, we are an
Ireland nation. I don't know why we're you know, we're
lauding the fact that we had fewer deaths, but you
know it was it was a tough time. But ex
David Seymour says what labor allowed to happen during the
COVID period can't be forgotten. And it's not just those
who died with the disease. He's followed here by the

(02:25):
Maldi Party's Debbie no Riwa Packer.

Speaker 5 (02:29):
It was those women who didn't know they had breast
cancer because screening was stopped. It was those children who
missed out on learning that will affect them for their
lifetime because education was put down the society's totem pole
of priorities as COVID became everything. It's those butchers who

(02:49):
were crying on the footpath as they threw out meat
yet again because their stores were shut while their competitors
in the back of supermarkets could continue.

Speaker 6 (02:59):
But the true this is the guy. When he was
Minister of Police, crime went up. When he was Minister
of education, school attendants went down. When he was Prime minister,
government debt went.

Speaker 3 (03:11):
Through the roof.

Speaker 6 (03:12):
If this guy opened a funeral parlor, nobody would die.
He can screw up anything.

Speaker 1 (03:17):
We know that Mali and Pacifica communities were disproportionately affected,
and that isn't something that's because of their culture, that's
because of deprivation. How does the Minister reconcile the report's
findings with us ongoing removal of tatilliti obligations from the
health system.

Speaker 3 (03:33):
I will mispeak.

Speaker 5 (03:33):
I say those are two separate.

Speaker 2 (03:34):
Things, and they certainly are. It did bring back memories.
I remember getting back from Auckland here and door stopping
Jasin Dada and asking her, how many times have you
been to your electorate in Mount Albert in the time
that Auckland's been locked down? She hadn't been. No, she
didn't come here. She said, I've got people on the

(03:56):
ground that will tell me what's happening.

Speaker 4 (03:58):
No, you don't think everybody was shocked when the anger
of Auckland was funneled down to Wells, who appeared at the.

Speaker 2 (04:04):
First she went, She went, came up here the week
later and visited a place that had remained open Luxeon
first caucus.

Speaker 7 (04:12):
Did they discussed it?

Speaker 2 (04:14):
Of course they would have discussed it, no doubt about it.
That poll result was obviously on the agenda A question though.
I've got to say Luxan was pretty relaxed in the
House today, so he obviously feels quite good having come
out of the caucus, and a question on the number
of kiwis leaving the country somewhat backfired on the Labor

(04:35):
leader Crusipkins today, does.

Speaker 4 (04:37):
He think that the two thousand New Zealanders a week
who have been giving up and leaving the country under
his leadership feel that the economies turned around?

Speaker 7 (04:46):
Well, I'm pleased to report that actually New Zealander's returning
back to New Zealand was up twelve percent on the
previous year and for the last four months, I'm very
pleased to say that New Zealanders leaving is less than
in any month in the period that he was promised. Ouch,
why doesn't he just asks mate jor Cinder, who's the
leading keyder's left the country?

Speaker 2 (05:05):
If he really want to exactly exactly?

Speaker 7 (05:09):
Hey, So how is this going to work?

Speaker 4 (05:10):
If the Maori Party is forced to take money a
men or cup a Kinni back well and they don't
want her her out with.

Speaker 2 (05:16):
Great difficulty, I would imagine, I mean, John Tammy Herey
is not going to be happy. And what it sees
is the actions that they talk are wrong and a
lot of people would say, well, a court of law
should they be deciding these things? Well, you know, every
party has a constitution and it would seem they were
in breach of this when they booted Krpakingie out and

(05:37):
don't forget essentially what they said was she had misused funds. Well,
what's become of that? Nothing? Really, but what's going to
become of the Maori Party, who could indeed be in
coalition with the Labor Party. Doesn't hold a lot of
stead for a solid unified party, does it.

Speaker 7 (05:56):
No, Barry, thanks very much, appreciate it. Barry Soper, Senior
political correspond

Speaker 4 (06:03):
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