“Prime Minister Chris Hipkins can’t have it both way on dawn raids. If he accepts the review’s recommendations then he must also accept the Government’s apology was a publicity stunt and denounce it,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.
“Mike Heron KC’s review of dawn raid-tactics found that Ardern’s apology appeared “to ring hollow”, as the Government didn’t instruct Immigration NZ to make any changes, and as Acting Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni revealed on Newstalk ZB this morning, didn’t even appear to bother finding out what Immigration NZ was doing at the time.
“Making announcements for maximum publicity and minimal effectiveness might have been a hallmark of Jacinda Ardern’s tenure, but Chris Hipkins is now in charge and can’t be allowed to hedge his bets. He’s meant to be focussed on bread and butter.
“With Immigration NZ now pausing visits that take place outside work hours following the review, the Prime Minister needs to be clear – does he support the review’s outcome and therefore denounce the Government’s hollow apology? Or does he stand by the apology and not accept the outcomes of the review?
“ACT says it isn’t realistic to set specific hours for which Police are allowed to make callouts to residential addresses. If criminals know when police are likely to come then chances are they won’t be there.
“Kiwibuild, Lightrail, Open and Transparent Government, Kindness (followed by locking citizens out of their own country), Nuclear-Free Moment, Ending Child Poverty. These were all once huge announcements and proclamations from the former PM. Over time, all of them have become punchlines.
“Chris Hipkins needs to show that he has learnt these lessons and show some leadership. Is the apology the problem, or the policy?”