Summarised by Centrist
Taxpayers have covered more than $70,000 in legal bills so Jacinda Ardern, Chris Hipkins, Grant Robertson and Ayesha Verrall could avoid answering public questions at the COVID Royal Commission.
The advice, delivered by the law firm Dentons, told the former ministers they did not have to appear in public hearings. Their argument was that public testimony could be edited unfairly and that it might break a political convention. All four instead gave private interviews behind closed doors.
A Curia poll for the Taxpayers’ Union found 53 percent of New Zealanders opposed their refusal to front up. Just 28 percent supported it.
Hipkins later told Newstalk ZB he was happy to talk to the media anytime. Robertson said he feared creating a precedent. Ardern issued a statement through a spokesperson saying she had “co-operated fully” and was just following Cabinet’s process.
In total, legal spending for the second phase of the COVID inquiry has now passed $350,000. That phase focuses on vaccine safety, lockdowns, mandates, and the public health powers used during the pandemic.
This is not the first time public money has been used to protect political reputations. In 2022, taxpayers paid $55,000 for legal costs after Trevor Mallard trespassed Winston Peters from Parliament. Before that, Mallard’s rape accusation fiasco cost $330,000 in legal fees.
Read more over at The NZ Herald (paywalled)
