Podcasts about covid inquiry

This week on the Sunday Panel, Coast Day host Lorna Riley and Senior PR Consultant at One Plus One Communications, Damien Venuto, joined in on a discussion about the issues of the day - and more! Should the taxpayer be covering the Covid inquiry legal costs? It is usual for the crown to cover legal costs of ministers and previous ministers – but should we be covering these costs? And how do we get central Auckland as vibrant and exciting as Christchurch? Is the rest of the country moving ahead faster than Auckland? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NZ Herald political reporter Jamie Ensor joins Francesca Rudkin to review this weeks' top local politics stories. Is it normal for the taxpayers to pay for the legal advice the government received during COVID? Will New Zealand follow suit with Australia and remove the Iranian ambassador following recent anti-semitic attacks? And what does the Government's new Business Investor Visa do for foreign investors? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

THE BEST BITS IN A SILLIER PACKAGE (from Wednesday's Mike Hosking Breakfast) He's Been Acting for a While Now/Strike? What Strike?/Where's Winston?/Putting It Back Together Is the ChallengeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 20th of August, the Reserve Bank has a call to make today – they're expected to cut the OCR by 25 points, but what comes next? Trade Minister Todd McClay joins us out of Saudi Arabia before his flight to the US in which he'll continue to try lower our tariff rate. Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen discuss the Covid Inquiry and Winston Peters' exclusion, and Trevor Mallard's ousting as the Ambassador to Ireland on Politics Wednesday. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on Politics Wednesday, the Covid Inquiry is still at the top of mind for many. Chris Hipkins, Dame Jacinda Ardern, Grant Robertson, and Ayesha Verrall have declined to publicly answer questions for the Royal Commission's second Covid Inquiry. Labour's Ginny Andersen and National's Mark Mitchell delved into the situation, as well as touching on Trevor Mallard's ousting from the role of Ambassador to Ireland. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

FIRST WITH YESTERDAY'S NEWS (highlights from the weekend on Newstalk ZB) Wait... It Isn't Over?/Ukraine War Definitely, Almost, Basically Over/Sometimes Rugby Goes to Plan/Sometimes League Goes to Plan/Sometimes Rock'n'Roll Goes to PlanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grant Robertson retired from politics in early 2024 to take up a new job as Otago University's Vice-Chancellor. He was back in the headlines this week after declining to show up to in-person hearings for the Covid-19 inquiry's second phase. The former Finance Minister spoke to Q+A about that decision and why he doesn't regret the Labour Government's spending decisions during the pandemic. Robertson, who is about to release his memoir Anything Could Happen, also reflects on the impact his sexuality had on his political career.

On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 16 August 2025, legendary guitar shredder Joey Santiago of Pixies joins Jack to discuss the unique format of the band's current tour, which is heading to New Zealand soon. Jack considers the levels of fairness and transparency in the latest Covid Inquiry. Haydn Jones joins Jack from the pitch to discuss the pros of volunteering for your local sporting clubs. Nici Wickes shares a delightful recipe for orange-caramel custard filled crepes. And Ed McKnight's finances have been inspired by a tennis great. Plus, Jack shares the breaking updates of Putin and Trump's press conference in Alaska, as it happens. Get the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast every Saturday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I think we are all served best by transparency in government. Leaders should be accountable for their decisions, and they should be willing to take our questions and answer them in a public format. But it's pretty clear to me the Covid Inquiry has fallen victim to bad and even cynical design, shaped by politics rather than a sincere desire to get a full accounting of our response. It's a shame, because it threatens to undermine some of the inquiry's more useful conclusions. It is a missed opportunity. In my view, there's plenty of blame to share. I think the first phase of the Covid Inquiry, introduced by the last government, missed some critical elements in its terms of reference. Worst of all was the decision not to include vaccine efficacy. For something so fundamental to the response, and so important to some New Zealanders that they were willing to lose relationships, jobs, and livelihoods over it, I think the effectiveness of vaccines and whatever slim risk they carried, should have been included. I think it's clear that different vaccines had different impacts on different variants. You can see how this might impact our procurement decisions in future. In principle, I supported expanding the inquiry until I saw the refreshed terms of reference. If it was to be a sincere effort to consider our Covid response, the good calls and the bad, in order to move forward and better prepare for the next pandemic shock, how could you leave out the first year of the response? Sure, much of the second phase of the Inquiry might have focused on vaccines, but it also focused on lockdowns and control measures. If you really cared about our Covid response, you'd start that line of inquiry with, you know, the start of the pandemic. To exclude the period when it wasn't just Labour in government and to exclude what have proved to be the more popular components of the government's response was disingenuous and cynical. The Covid-19 response was vast and complex. It's almost impossible to unpick every decision because you have to try and separate the information we have now from the information we had at the time. The virus has cast a long shadow in New Zealand. Our response undoubtedly saved a lot of lives, but it wasn't without costs. The pandemic might have been over ages ago, but the economic and social impacts endure. One thing I'd add to the Royal Commission's conclusions is that next time we need to find a better, respectful way to hear and consider dissenting views. Media obviously plays a critical role in this. But although I think we did a reasonable job last time, I reckon next time is going to be much more difficult. Depending on the circumstances, it may not massively change government policy or the public health response. Given the conspiratorial nature of the fringiest elements, it may be an impossible task. Nevertheless, I think one of the key lessons from the Covid years is that somehow making people feel heard and respected instead of ostracised is a vital part in preventing the worst of the societal division that still afflicts us, years on. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

THE BEST BITS IN A SILLIER PACKAGE (from Friday's Mike Hosking Breakfast) Starting with a Cliffhanger/Water's Back/What Teachers Make/Mark the Week/Some RandoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A constitutional lawyer says the Royal Commission of Inquiry has the power to summons ex-ministers to front for its Covid enquiry. It's called off its second week of hearings after Chris Hipkins, Dame Jacinda Ardern, Grant Robertson, and Ayesha Verrall declined to appear. It says it shouldn't diminish the inquiry - as all have privately given evidence. Lawyer Graeme Edgeler says the Commission just needs to consider if it'll miss out on key information without a summons. "If the answer to that was yes, then they should exercise it. They seem to think at the moment that they don't need need to have the summons, but it's something they have in their back pocket." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I can recall a conversation I had about a month ago with Labour leader and former Covid-19 Minister Chris Hipkins about Part 2 of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into his government's pandemic response. And he was saying that he was waiting to be invited to appear, and wouldn't be asking for an invite, and wouldn't be gate-crashing. That was around the time that he was also saying the Inquiry was a platform for conspiracy theorists. And I said at the time that, if Chris Hipkins was eventually invited and he declined, then he could forget about being Prime Minister again. Since then, it turns out he has been asked to front-up to the inquiry in person - and he has declined. Dame Jacinda Ardern, former finance minister Grant Robertson and former health minister Ayesha Verrall have also been asked to appear. And they've all declined as well. All of them, on the basis of advice from lawyers who are being paid by the taxpayer, that appearing at the Inquiry could attract abuse towards family members and that images and recordings from the Inquiry hearings could be “tampered with and misused”. All of that's probably true. But, even then, this is nonsense. Maybe Hipkins, Dame Jacinda, Robertson, and Verrall need to be reminded that former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson fronted up in person to the Covid Inquiry in Britain. He didn't hide behind written responses. Which, as we know, are always full of weasel words that go unchallenged. It wasn't a holiday for Boris, but he fronted. And because Chris Hipkins, especially, isn't fronting, he is political toast. Imagine if he had said to the others, “Okay, you guys aren't going, but I'm still the leader of the Opposition, so I am going to front”. If he'd taken that approach, he would've had a few days where it might have been uncomfortable for him, but it would be over and done with. Because if you have a very low opinion of the way Labour handled the pandemic, your low opinion isn't going to get any worse if Hipkins is grilled in-person at the Inquiry, is it? In fact, you might even admire him for fronting up. You might even give him credit for it. But he's not. And in doing so, he's written-off whatever he chance he had of leading Labour to victory next year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

FIRST WITH YESTERDAY'S NEWS (highlights from Thursday on Newstalk ZB) But What if It's Nobody's Fault?/Why Teachers Teach/I Hate That WordSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's an old saying, one generally used by mothers: I'm not angry, I'm just disappointed. Yesterday, hearing that the unholy Triumvirate of Ardern, Robertson, and Hipkins —Ayesha Verrall doesn't count— were choosing not to appear publicly at the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Covid-19 Response, I was both angry and disappointed. The second set of public hearings for the Royal Commission has been axed after key witnesses, including the aforementioned, refused to appear. Chairman Grant Illingworth has the power to summon people to appear before the Inquiry, those living in New Zealand, but said he would not use it. On balance, he said “we are of the view that a summons is undesirable given that the former ministers continue to cooperate with the evidence gathering of the Inquiry”. The writing was on the wall back in early July that Hipkins would not be showing his face publicly, when I asked him about attending to give his evidence in person. You could hear on the 8th of July that there was no way he was going to show his face. It may be true that government ministers have in the past given their evidence privately to Royal Commissioners. The Covid-19 response, I would argue, is different. The “most honest and transparent government ever” relied hugely on the trust and faith of the public to implement the nationwide wholesale measures that they did. We all sacrificed to varying degrees, and with varying degrees of willingness, personal freedoms, livelihoods, children's schooling, mental wellbeing, because the government engaged with us, talked at us, cajoled us, threatened us, reassured us it was a relationship. Every single day those people were up in our grills, in public, telling us what we needed to do, how we had to do it, and giving their reasons for why we had to do it. Enormous sacrifices were made by many, many people, and many of them are still counting the emotional toll. Ardern, Hipkins, and Robertson used their public profiles to ensure compliance with the decisions they were making, which grew ever more ridiculous and unworkable as time went on. I believe they have a moral obligation to front the public and answer the Commissioners questions publicly. Without manipulating the public trust, for better and worse, they couldn't have got away with what they did. Their objections to appearing appear to be Dentons', the law firm's, objections to appearing, but their objections include the convention that ministers and former ministers are interviewed by inquiries in private, and departing from that convention would undermine confidence. In what exactly? I hope I've put up a case that they do have an obligation to answer publicly because the Covid-19 response was unlike any other event where there's been a Commission of Inquiry. They were also concerned that the live streaming and publication of recordings of the hearing creates a risk of those recordings being tampered with, manipulated, or otherwise misused. For heavens sake, any time you open your mouth in public your words and image can be manipulated and misused. Look at Neil Finn's erections for heavens sake. Anytime you appear talking about anything, AI can use your image, your words – it's not exclusive to the Commission of Inquiry. They have form, these people, as spineless decision makers, so it should be no real surprise they haven't showed publicly. They never once ventured to Auckland during the pointless, unreasonable lockdowns of 2021. So no huge surprise that they're not willing to stand by the decisions they made then, now. Ardern and Robertson have moved on. They don't need the New Zealand public. They don't need the New Zealand public to have confidence in them, Hipkins does. He wants to be Prime Minister again. He wants another bash at it. He'll point to the polls and say he's a third of the way there, that most New Zealanders have got over Covid, moved on. Some of us haven't. We are living with the decisions the economic, medical, and social decisions that this unholy triumvirate made every single day. And our children will live with those decisions, and our grandchildren. The very least they could do is appear before the same public, whose faith and trust they exploited and explain how and why they made the decisions that they did. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Auckland Councillor Maurice Williamson and Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Jacinda Ardern, Chris Hipkins, Grant Robertson have all declined to be interviewed publicly by the Covid inquiry. Should they have fronted? Did Chlöe Swarbrick deserve to get booted out of Parliament today? Should she have apologised? What did we make of Debbie Ngarewa-Packer dropping the C-word in Parliament? The Education Minister is cutting Māori words from five-year-olds' school phonics books. Is this a bad look? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Current and former Labour leaders and ministers deciding not to appear at the Royal Commission's Covid inquiry is being described as 'disgraceful'. Jacinda Ardern, Chris Hipkins, Grant Robertson and Ayesha Verrall, who were all involved in Covid decisions - have declined invitations to appear. They say it would have been performative - not informative - and there's a risk livestream recordings could be manipulated and misused. National MP Chris Bishop says they should front up because New Zealanders deserve answers over the scale of Covid spending, which is still having impacts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

THE BEST BITS IN A SILLIER PACKAGE (from Thursday's Mike Hosking Breakfast) The Mike Hosking Royal InquirySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government says it won't make the same mistakes as the last if hit with an event similar to the Covid-19 pandemic. A Treasury report has calculated the total cost of the pandemic at $66 billion. It puts New Zealand among the highest spenders as a proportion of GDP on the Covid response in advanced economies. Finance Minister Nicola Willis told Ryan Bridge nearly half of the spending was on unnecessary initiatives. She says it didn't make a difference to the economy, and racked up huge amounts of debt. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The evidential hearings for Module 6 of the UK Covid Inquiry began on June 30th 2025. This week, Nicola Brook and Lorelei King were joined by Helen Wildbore, Director of Care Rights UK. Together, they discussed everything that happened during the fifth and final week of hearings, including evidence from witnesses. If you've lost a loved one to Covid-19, it isn't too late to be part of the Covid Inquiry. For more information on how to instruct legal representation, visit our website here: https://www.jacksonlees.co.uk/BroudieJacksonCanter/services/covid-inquiry

The evidential hearings for Module 6 of the UK Covid Inquiry began on June 30th 2025. This week, Nicola Brook and Lorelei King were joined by Amos Waldman, member of CBFFJ UK and Trustee of a Care Home. Together, they discussed everything that happened during the fourth week of hearings, including evidence from witnesses. If you've lost a loved one to Covid-19, it isn't too late to be part of the Covid Inquiry. For more information on how to instruct legal representation, visit our website here: https://www.jacksonlees.co.uk/BroudieJacksonCanter/services/covid-inquiry

The evidential hearings for Module 6 of the UK Covid Inquiry began on June 30th 2025.   This week, Nicola Brook and Lorelei King were joined by Julia Jones from John's Campaign.   Together, they discussed everything that happened during the third week of hearings, including evidence from witnesses.   If you've lost a loved one to Covid-19, it isn't too late to be part of the Covid Inquiry. For more information on how to instruct legal representation, visit our website here: https://www.jacksonlees.co.uk/BroudieJacksonCanter/services/covid-inquiry

We all know the Covid Inquiry is looking at MIQ, amongst other things. And we all know that MIQ had noble aims and notable successes. But we also know the execution was far from perfect, and many people ended up feeling ostracized from the rest of New Zealand. The idea of the Inquiry is to find out what went wrong so we do better next time. And yesterday, Les Morgan, the Chief Operating Manager of Sudima Hotels, wrote an exceptional piece in the Herald on the rights and wrongs of MIQ and in the middle of his piece he took my heart away with a stunning piece of writing. He learnt at a 1pm briefing that his hotel had been requisitioned for an MIQ facility. Except no-one had told him and his team and their first refugees were expected that very day. He wrote this: "The hotel in question had been closed indefinitely, meaning staff had moved on and there were no consumables or PPE gear on site. "Once I had run the gauntlet of shock and bad language, our team swung into action and I am proud to say our local staff welcomed the first guests by 8pm the same day with full PPE equipment and comprehensive operational procedures. (The military and public health teams involved arrived on-site equally unprepared but also rallied.) "These were staff who had left the business earlier in lockdown but came back to bravely face an unknown health risk and the enormous task of recommissioning a hotel, all because they thought it was the right thing to do to help save the lives of fellow New Zealanders. They are all heroes, and they deserve to be properly recognised by the Government." Damn right. In London there is a Covid Memorial Wall on the banks of the Tames opposite the Houses of Parliament. It features over 240,000 individually hand-painted red hearts. Each heart represents a person in the UK who died with COVID-19 listed as a cause of death on their death certificate. It's all ages, but particularly the young and the old. We have nothing like that in New Zealand. This Inquiry will not give everybody want they want. It will prove MIQ to be neither right or wrong. But it will remind us that there are silent heroes in New Zealand who we have not thanked nearly enough. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martyn 'Bomber' Bradbury this week is joined by a HEAVYWEIGHT panel comprised of Simon Wilson, Claudette Hauiti, and Prof. Jane Kelsey. Together they tear into the brain fog of a recessionary Kiwi economy, David Seymour’s dodgy Regulatory Standards Bill, and Winston Peters' Covid Inquiry-for-clicks. With 30,000 New Zealanders fleeing and GDP flatlining, the crew ask - who exactly is “growth” growing for? Leader of the Opposition Chris Hipkins is this week's special guest, and of course we have the War on News. Powered by Waatea News.

The evidential hearings for Module 6 of the UK Covid Inquiry began on June 30th 2025.   This week, Nicola Brook and Lorelei King were joined by Reverend Charlotte Hudd, a member of the Royal College of Nursing.   Together, they discussed everything that happened during the second week of hearings, including evidence from witnesses.   If you've lost a loved one to Covid-19, it isn't too late to be part of the Covid Inquiry. For more information on how to instruct legal representation, visit our website here: https://www.jacksonlees.co.uk/BroudieJacksonCanter/services/covid-inquiry

The backers of the second official inquiry into the Covid response say it's crucial for preparing us for the next pandemic - but the media mostly zeroed in on whether big-name politicians would show up. Also: TVNZ checking itself for bias, a fresh flurry of media French-ification; and do we need to brace for more ‘fiscal hole' fury in Election 2026? Read more about this episode of Mediawatch on the RNZ websiteIn this episode:1:22 The backers of the second Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Covid-19 response said it was crucial to learning lessons for the future, as well as allowing people to have a say. But the media mostly zeroed in on whether big-name politicians would show up at hearings that are still six weeks away.17:03 Remember in the campaign for the last election - and the one before that - how the big political parties made big claims in the media about billion dollar-deep holes in each others' policies? We might have to brace for more in 2026.32:50 TVNZ says it's planning to check itself for bias. But why - and why now?37:21 A fresh flurry of French-ification in our media inspired by Les Bleus on tour.Learn more:https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/mediawatch/566737/mediawatch-pandemic-probe-media-focus-flipped-to-politiciansGuests: Dan Brunskill, economics reporter for Interest.co.nzIf you have any thoughts for us - or ideas for us to follow up - get in touch. E-mail mediawatch@rnz.co.nz. You'll also find us @MediawatchNZ on X.Follow Mediawatch and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any podcast app to make sure you never miss an episode.Find more RNZ Podcasts at the new section of the RNZ website at rnz.co.nz/podcastsGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

An immunologist giving evidence at the inquiry into the government's Covid-19 response, has been questioned on claims the debate around mRNA vaccines was shut down during the pandemic. Reporter Lucy Xia has more.

Māori, Pasifika and Asian community leaders have told the royal commission of inquiry into the Covid-19 response how hard it was to adapt to lockdown rules. Victor Waters reports.

Public hearings for the second phase of the Covid-19 inquiry got under way this week, and there's been speculation if Jacinda Ardern will make an appearance. Ardern says she will provide evidence to assist the Royal Commission of Inquiry, if asked to. Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls says key decision makers and senior public servants are set to speak next month. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Hipkins is doubling down on saying the Covid Response Inquiry's terms seems to provide a platform for conspiracy views. The Labour leader also said the second phase —that began this week— excludes looking at any decisions made when NZ First was in Government. Hipkins told John MacDonald opinions from the likes of Brian Tamaki and Liz Gunn deserve to be heard but shouldn't overshadow submission on other experiences. He says if the Government's genuine in wanting all voices heard, it's important for it not to be dominated by a few people. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

FIRST WITH YESTERDAY'S NEWS (highlights from Wednesday on Newstalk ZB) So... Totally Pointless/Gambling; Definitely a Problem and Still Unsolved/Zombie Moa ApocalypseSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour leader and former Covid-19 Minister Chris Hipkins thinks phase two of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Covid-19 response is a platform for conspiracy theorists, and he is non-committal about turning-up to give evidence. The most committed I've heard him so far is saying that he's working on some written responses. But if that turns out to be the extent of his involvement, then he can forget about being prime minister again. Because let me remind you of a couple of things. While it was the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern who, generally, fronted the Government's Covid response. It was Hipkins —as Covid Minister— who drove it behind the scenes. Secondly, if it was good enough for former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to front up in person to the UK's Covid inquiry, then it is more than good enough for Chris Hipkins to front up in person to our inquiry. In December 2023, Boris Johnson spent two days being grilled by the committee of MPs, which had the job of looking into how his government handled the pandemic. This is the guy who told people they had to isolate at home and then had parties at 10 Downing Street. This is the guy who disappeared to his country house when Covid was running rampant. This is the guy who, somehow, lost 5,000 WhatsApp messages from his phone, which couldn't be used as evidence at the inquiry. This is the same guy who told the UK inquiry that he was the victim of not being properly informed about the seriousness of Covid. Boris Johnson is the guy who is widely considered to have cocked-up the response in Britain but who, despite all that, fronted-up to take questions and take the heat over two days. And it wasn't pleasant for him. He was grilled. But say what you like about Boris Johnson, at least he fronted up. From what I've seen, at no point did Boris Johnson dismiss the inquiry in Britain as a platform for conspiracy theorists. At no point did Boris Johnson bang-on about the Covid inquiry in Britain creating an opportunity for theatrics from conspiracy theorists. And, at no point, did Boris Johnson hide behind written responses and weasel words. But that is exactly what Chris Hipkins is doing. He says he wants to be “cooperative” but “I don't want to see a whole lot of theatrics. I'm very interested in engaging with them on how we can capture the lessons”. To be fair, Hipkins probably does have a point about the time period covered by phase two of the inquiry and how it, conveniently, leaves out the time NZ First was in coalition with Labour, but he needs to get over that. Just like he needs to get over the fact that, yes, there will be no shortage of conspiracy theorists turning up at the inquiry. But so what? It's a free world. And we can decide for ourselves how much credence we want to give them. But Chris Hipkins shouldn't be free to decide for himself whether he fronts up in person at the Covid inquiry, or not. He was Covid Minister and he has to front. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let me tell you what Chris Hopkins is busy doing to the Covid Inquiry. Let me tell you, when he says that the Covid Inquiry is providing a platform for those who have conspiracy theorist views, he is trying to undermine it, and he's doing that. So it doesn't matter what the outcome of the inquiry is, people have already written it off as a nut job investigation. I suspect Chippy already knows that he's not going to come out of this flash. Neither is Jacinda. Neither is Ashley. Neither is Grant. Because we already know what went wrong. We can see that the lockdowns went too long. We know that the border was done badly. We know how much money was printed, to name just a few things that they did wrong. It's kind of rich of Chris Hipkins to complain that the terms of reference have been deliberately constructed to achieve a certain outcome, because that's coming from the guy whose government did exactly the same with the original Covid Inquiry. They set up such a limited set of terms of references that we had to set up a second inquiry after they lost the election just to get to the stuff that we actually care about, which is the mandates and the Auckland lockdown, and so on. They set up an inquiry, deliberately designed their words to only learn lessons, not assign blame when actually blame, or you can call it just taking responsibility, is exactly what a lot of us affected by all of this stuff would like to see. But what really bothers me about what Chris Hipkins is doing is the continual demonising of conspiracy theorists. Now, look, I don't love a conspiracy theorist. They're a bit nutty. I've had to sit through lectures about the world order hours on end, trying to be polite and pretending that you care because you love the person, right? A lot of these people went down the rabbit hole because Labour forced to the jab on them, so they went off to do their own research and they came back a bit strange. They shouldn't be excluded. They may be conspiracy theorists, but they're still our friends and our brothers and our uncles, even if they're a bit slightly different at the moment. Conspiracy theorists or not, they were as affected by these decisions as everyone else, therefore, they get a say too. And whatever, by the way, happened to “they are us”? Or does that only apply when it suits Labour? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Hipkins won't commit to appearing before the second phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into New Zealand's Covid response. The Labour leader earlier said the terms of reference for the second stage - which is currently underway - provide a platform for conspiracies. NZ Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan says Hipkins has some good points - but the Government at the time did make decisions that intruded on people's rights. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's claims comments by Chris Hipkins on the Covid inquiry are 'unhelpful' and 'divisive'. The Labour leader said the terms of reference for the second phase - currently underway - provide a platform for conspiratorial views. He pointed out they exclude decisions made when New Zealand First was in Government . But Internal Affairs Minister, Brooke van Velden, told Ryan Bridge the terms were expanded so people felt listened to. "They wanted the inquiry to be fulsome and to find the truth so that when we have another pandemic, we have less division and we have a better response." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

THE BEST BITS IN A SILLIER PACKAGE (from Wednesday's Mike Hosking Breakfast) This Is Never Going Away/How To Write a Bestseller/Just Declare Your Bias/Robot Apocalypse Collaborators/Is That a Peanut Butter Knife In Your Pocket Or?...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The evidential hearings for Module 6 of the UK Covid Inquiry began on June 30th 2025. This week, Nicola Brook and Lorelei King were joined by Professor Vic Rayner OBE, CEO of the National Care Forum. Together, they discussed everything that happened during the first week of hearings, including evidence from witnesses. If you've lost a loved one to Covid-19, it isn't too late to be part of the Covid Inquiry. For more information on how to instruct legal representation, visit our website here: https://www.jacksonlees.co.uk/BroudieJacksonCanter/services/covid-inquiry

FIRST WITH YESTERDAY'S NEWS (highlights from Tuesday on Newstalk ZB) Everything, Apparently/That's All Crime Solved Then/The Ole Stadium Conversation/Is Uber Still a Thing?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Hipkins was on with Kerre Woodham yesterday, as well as with Ryan Bridge on Herald NOW, and he talked about the Covid inquiry – insinuating it was slanted against Labour because New Zealand First is now part of a National government and had drawn up the scope of the inquiry to benefit them. It also came out that he has drafted written responses to the questions the Commission might ask of him, but he is non-committal about fronting up for a verbal grilling – a good cross examination. Now also on the table is Jacinda Arden, who doesn't look like showing despite the wish of many for her to be held to account. But the thing about this Commission is that it is not a trial, it's an inquiry. It's a show trial, really. It's a political thing and Chris Hipkins is still in the political game, unlike Jacinda Ardern. So he needs to handle this thing well. He was the Minister of Health during the pandemic. In fact, he was the Minister of just about everything, because he was the most competent in his party. So if he wants to be the leader of this party going into the next election, he really must turn up and face that cross examination of what he was part of. But we know what he did – it's already there and black and white. But what we don't know is the thought processes that drove his actions, and we haven't had the chance to question him. And what we don't know is his thoughts, with hindsight, as to what he might have done better. So if he's honest about learning lessons about pandemic management because there's gonna be another pandemic in the future, then he really must turn up and face the heat. It'll be good for him. It'll be good for us. If he doesn't, the conspiracy theorists that he mentioned yesterday will bring all their bias to bear against him next election. Chris Hipkins has choices: face up and tell the truth, stand apart and let speculation by what he calls “conspiracy theorists” run wild, or just quit. Quit his aspiration to become Prime Minister one more time and enjoy a retirement from public life. It's in your court, Chris. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons Full Show Podcast for the 8th of July - an explosive question to start the afternoon - should Dame Jacinda Ardern be forced to attend the Covid Inquiry? Then to the Mushroom Lady trial and Matt's theory on the motive. And finally, the Cardrona pub is breaking the internet as people check out the Trade Me listing for its sale. Our Afternoon duo spoke with Co-owner Cade Thornton. Get the Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons Podcast every weekday afternoon on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Should Jacinda Ardern return to the country and face the Covid inquiry music? The answer, I think, must be yes. I confirmed this morning on my Herald NOW show that the Royal Commission has reached out to Jacinda and asked her to attend in August. The KC running the show would not answer whether she'd replied or whether she'd lawyered up, but he did say that the only way to get out of attending is if you're not the in the country because they don't have jurisdiction. So the question is: as a former Prime Minister who wielded more power than Muldoon - war-time executive powers - as somebody who's always claimed their intentions were good, and as somebody who's claimed they were in politics for the children, will the former PM front this inquiry and be honest? Honest about what really went on behind closed doors and behind those PPE masks? Boris Johnson appeared at his country's inquiry, and twiddled his fingers and answered all that was put before him. Isn't there a moral obligation to the people of New Zealand, too? They still live with the consequences of decisions that she and her Cabinet made. She's making money off books and all sorts while many businesses here never recovered from lockdowns. Isn't a little truth-telling in order? I was one of just a handful of interviewers who grilled her on a weekly basis during this time period. I'm saving the best bits for a book one day, but there was image and stage control happening behind the scenes you wouldn't believe. The problem for Jacinda if she decides not to front is this - and it's a question Kiwis will be asking themselves - what has she got to hide? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The second phase of the Covid-19 inquiry has begun, with many voices from business, tourism, and events venting frustration over the response. The Royal Commission of Inquiry will run until Thursday - and many are wondering if former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will be called up to weigh in. Sir Ian Taylor says it would be 'wonderful' if Ardern found a way to give some answers. "It would perhaps reinforce the concept that everything she did was to be kind, to be part of the team of five million - and this is the time for the team of five million to come together to figure out how we deal to this better next time." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

THE BEST BITS IN A SILLIER PACKAGE (from Tuesday's Mike Hosking Breakfast) Or Just Oldies?/Can't Keep a Bad Kid Down/The Great Adern Return/Stop Having Kids/Better Work StoriesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

FIRST WITH YESTERDAY'S NEWS (highlights from Monday on Newstalk ZB) Right Idea. Poorly Executed/Facing the Music/Man, We Hate Banks/When There's No Alternative Transport/Dissing ZoosSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Question: should Jacinda Ardern come home and appear before the Royal Commission into our Covid response? I think she should. I could understand though if she doesn't. Because just as she became the symbol of our successful response to the pandemic, which we rewarded with a supermajority in Labour's second term, she also then became the symbol of everything that we did wrong. And there's a significant number of people who have been weaponised against the former Prime Minister because of the things they resent, and they want a holding to account. They want a Nuremberg trial, as you heard from my texts, you know, they want fines, they want jail. But they won't get that, even if she did come back. This is an inquiry about Covid to understand everything they got wrong as well as everything they got right. Now, I'm sure Jacinda Ardern, even if her conscience is completely clear, she would be worried about the consequences of coming home and being at the front of this investigation for her family, for her personal safety, for her own mental health. And the feeling is that she won't – you can read between the lines in the recent Women's Weekly interview that home is not on the radar. But remember, she will not escape the inquiry. No one will. There are enough people being called to give us the full and frank dissection of everything that happened at the beginning of this decade, and that is important because there will be another pandemic one day. So let's get into it with or without former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The second phase of the Covid Inquiry starts today, with vaccine mandates proving to be a hot topic. The hearings will be held in Auckland, available to watch online and will be chaired by KC Grant Illingworth. Phase two is focused on aspects of the Covid response like vaccine mandates, the approval process and vaccine safety. Illingworth told Heather du Plessis Allan that there are 31-thousand submissions, with a fair chunk focused on the mandates. He says there's a number of people who think the mandates protected them, and many others who have an opposite view. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I think I'm encouraged by the numbers of submissions into the Covid inquiry. This is Covid inquiry part two. The second part is to try and rectify the stitch up that was Covid part one from the previous Government, who were determined to set criteria that would not expose the true damage they wrought upon most of us. 31,000 have had their say this time. It is pointed out they came from all ages, all locations and were both positive as well as negative. Given Health NZ submitted on whether Wanaka should have a McDonalds, do not underestimate the establishment's ability to spend an indecent amount of time and money in putting a best-case scenario forward in a butt-covering exercise. This part of the inquiry looks into masks and mandates, vaccines and lockdowns, and 31,000 submissions tells me we are still very much exercised about the historic nature of the event and our keenness to try and come up with something that sees nothing like a repeat of the last exercise. I note the other day poor, old Chris Hipkins still tries to walk that very fine line between admitting they were in charge of a balls up and pretending it went mostly well. He is in an unwinnable place. As the last sap left standing, given Jacinda Ardern and Grant Robertson are long gone, he has the sorry task of defending what really were some astonishingly poor decisions. But that doesn't mean the inquiry will come up with answers. Answers such as will a pandemic be the same, or similar, or not similar at all? What sort of Government will be in? Will that Government be competent or experienced? What roll will the public service play? Will epidemiologists become household names again? Will New Zealanders sink into a myopic funk again waiting for a leader to tell them what sort of stuffed animal to put in the window? What made last time so bad was the control, and out of the control, followed the anger and fear. I'm not sure an inquiry can dictate answers or solutions around emotion. But 31,000 submissions tells you the emotion is still very, very real. At least in putting the second part of the inquiry on, we attempt to recognise how profound those dark and troubled days really were. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Educated in India and Canada, Ramesh Thakur has had an amazing career as an academic, lawyer and government adviser. He has taught in universities in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Singapore. He offers broad commentary on judicial “adventurism" and growing tyranny, India, Pakistan, China, the U.N. and W.H.O.. His advice on global affairs would unquestionably aid the NZ Government in some of their misguided ideas. We share a medical professional's submission to the second Covid Inquiry, and we visit The Mailroom with Mrs Producer. File your comments and complaints at Leighton@newstalkzb.co.nz Haven't listened to a podcast before? Check out our simple how-to guide. Listen here on iHeartRadio Leighton Smith's podcast also available on iTunes:To subscribe via iTunes click here See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

THE BEST BITS IN A SILLIER PACKAGE (from Wednesday's Mike Hosking Breakfast) It's a Wonderful Place/Mark the MPs/Deliberately Mispronounciating/Return of the Inquiry/Not Livable Enough for MeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Submissions have closed and more than 31,000 groups and individuals have had their say in phase two of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Covid-19. The Inquiry's Chair Grant Illingworth KC spoke to Corin Dann.