Prime Minister Christopher Luxon speaks in Ashburton after first Royal Commission Covid-19 report.
Video / NZ Herald
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has spoken to media the day after the report from the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Covid-19 response was released.
Luxon, who was in Ashburton today, said he had not read the phase one Royal Commission Inquiry report yet.
“I’ve been on the road, and up and down this country in the last 24 hours.”
Yesterday it was revealed the report found some vaccine requirements were “applied too broadly and remained in place for too long”.
This “caused harm to individuals and families and contributed to loss of social capital” and the consequent loss of trust may have hurt the ability to respond to future pandemics, the inquiry said.
Included among the key findings of the report was that the “use of compulsion” – including mandating various public health measures – was one of the “most controversial aspects” of the Covid-19 response.
This included the decision to put requirements around vaccines, described in the report as a “major source of tension and social division” with “strongly held views both for and against their use”.
Luxon also discussed other subjects with media during his Ashburton visit. He said his Government campaigned on disestablishing the Māori Health Authority, and agreed they have a firm plan for Māori health.
He said going forward they want to partner with iwi for better outcomes.
Luxon told media Māori outcomes went backwards under the previous Labour Government.
He disagreed with the Waitangi Tribunal’s call to reconsider creating a standalone Māori health entity.
“It didn’t work under the last administration ... the better way is to partner with local iwi on the ground.”
Luxon also said improving the Resource Management Act (RMA) is a three-stage process.
”The RMA is holding New Zealand back, it’s taking too long to build things in this country.”
On the move to stop employees on more than $180,000 a year from being able to take an unjustified dismissal case against an employer, Luxon said at that level they can sort matters out themselves and not add to the Employment Relations Authority’s workload. “It’s clogging up the system.”
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Finance Minister Nicola Willis were in a Crown vehicle in Wellington this week when a police car crashed into it. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Earlier this week, a police car crashed into the back of a Crown vehicle carrying Luxon and Finance Minister Nicola Willis.
Officials confirmed the “minor nose-to-tail collision” happened in Wellington on Wednesday afternoon.
“No one was injured. The Crown car sustained damage to the rear of the vehicle,” a Department of Internal Affairs spokeswoman said.
