Running Scared, Hipkins? Accountability Doesn't Happen in Secret

The Taxpayers’ Union is slamming the decision of the four Covid Cowards – Jacinda Ardern, Chris Hipkins, Grant Robertson and Ayesha Varrell – to refuse to publicly answer questions at the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Covid-19 response. 

“Five years ago, the Government spent $66 billion on the most draconian peacetime decisions in New Zealand’s history. Every New Zealander was locked in their homes. Families were split apart. People missed seeing their dying loved ones. One million New Zealanders locked out of the country. Businesses were destroyed,” said Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams.

“Throughout the Western world, key decision makers have fronted publicly at Covid inquiries, taking tough questions in the open and justifying their actions. That’s how democracies hold leaders to account and ensure the public have confidence that even our leaders cannot act arbitrarily. Instead, Ardern, Hipkins, Robertson and Varrell think a behind-closed-doors interview and a letter is enough. It’s not.”

The Taxpayers’ Union is calling on the Royal Commission to use its powers to compel the four to appear, as any Court would with witnesses.

“In any other context with a witness refusing to give evidence, it is as though they have something to hide. The refusal to face public questioning insults every New Zealander who made sacrifices during lockdowns.”

The Union also took aim at Hipkins claiming appearing before the Royal Commission would ‘set a precedent.’

“Public accountability, in the same way we have open justice, is precisely what we need. For the significant portion of the public who have lost trust in institutions and risk seeing, in their minds, the inquiry as a ‘closed-door stitch up’ by the elite, the lack of public hearings will only play into the conspiracy.”

“Has he not realised telling the team of five million ‘up yours’ like this is exactly why?”

“Front up. Answer the questions. What are you hiding?”