Mike's Minute: Ardern, Hipkins, Robertson - They should be ashamed of themselves

I'm assuming the instigators of the second Covid Inquiry are deeply disappointed in what is unfolding, in terms of accountability. 

Inquiry Part 1 was a Labour Government stitch up. It was an exercise in smoke and mirrors. 

Inquiry Part 2 is a coalition deal driven by ACT and NZ First, and was designed to look into areas not touched on in Part 1: access to vaccines, lock downs, economic damage, and so on. 

I have argued since the start that we needed an advisorial approach. In other words, we do it like the Brits, who called people to a witness stand and held them accountable. 

We didn’t do that and now we're paying the price. 

Ardern and Hipkins, along with Robertson, have declined to appear. 

No kidding. What a surprise. I wonder why? 

Grant Illingworth KC, who is in charge of the current work, has the power apparently to pull them in. He is choosing not to do so, hence my assumption of disappointment at political party level. 

The Illingworth justification is the aforementioned operators are cooperating with proceedings. 

That's not good enough in my book, or indeed anywhere close. 

Simple question: is there a broad expectation among ordinary, everyday New Zealanders that those who made life-changing calls in a life-changing period of New Zealand owe it to us all to front and be questioned under oath about why they did what they did? 

Another question: what does it say about the morals and characters of said people, who seek public mandate and public support and approval, that when things get a bit awkward they are nowhere to be seen? 

Where is the courage of their conviction? Where are their spines and gonads? 

Can a person like Hipkins, and indeed Verrall, who I also understand is refusing to front, possibly present themselves to the voting public next year with a straight face and ask once again for the power to run the land, having been the same people who in august of the year before ran for the hills when accountability came calling? 

The rules of engagement were lacking. We were let down. 

As the head of this with power to do better, Illingworth is letting us down. 

But nowhere near the level of Ardern, Hipkins, Robertson, and Verrall, who should be ashamed of themselves. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Look, I'm assuming the instigators of the second COVID inquiry
are deeply disappointed in what is unfolding in terms of accountability.
Inquiry Part one was a Labour government's stitch up of
course and exercise and smoke and mirrors. Inquiry Part two
a coalition deal driven by ACT in New Zealand. First
was designed to look into areas not touched in Part one,
access to vaccine lockdown's economic damage and so on. I've

(00:21):
argued since the start we needed actually an adversarial approach,
in other words, British style call people to a witness stand,
hold them accountable. We didn't do that, and now we're
paying the price. Madern and Hipkins, along with Robinson and Verel,
declined to appear. No kidding A what a surprise. I
wonder why Now Grant Illingworth KC, who's in charge of
the current work, has the power apparently to pull them in.

(00:43):
He's choosing not to do so. Hence my assumption of
disappointment at a political party level. The Illingworth justification is
the aforementioned operators are cooperating with proceedings not good enough
in my book, or indeed anywhere close. So simple question
is there a broad expectation among ordinary everyday New Zealander
is that those who made life changing calls and a

(01:04):
life changing period of this country owe it to us
all to front and be questioned under oath about why
they did what they did. Another question, what does it
say about the morals and character of said people who
seek public mandate and public support and approval that when
things get a bit orkies, they're nowhere to be seen.
Where is the courage of their conviction? Where are their

(01:25):
spines and their gonads? How can a person like Hipkins
and indeed veryl who also is refusing to front, possibly
present themselves to the voting public next year with a
straight face and ask once again for the power to
around the country having been the same people who in
August of this year ran for the hills when accountability
came calling. The rules of engagement were lacking at the

(01:46):
COVID inquiry. So we are being let down. Illingworth's head
with a power to do better apparently is letting us down,
but nowhere near adern Hepkins, Robertson and Verel, who should
be ashamed of themselves For more from the mic Asking
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