“Jacinda needs to start answering questions about what advice she has received about whether mandates should continue,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.
“Jacinda Ardern has always been the master of avoiding questions and answering with waffle, but she took that to the next level, even for her, on AM this morning.
“She avoided questions about modelling on mandates, comments made by her senior ministers and whether she has confidence in the Police Commissioner. There was not a single straight answer.
“Government policy should always be made based on evidence. What New Zealanders want to know is whether the evidence still supports having mandates in place, or whether Omicron has been a game changer and the rules should change with it.
“We deserve to know what advice the Government has received, whether it still applies in an Omicron world and whether our response should change.
“It’s a debate we need to have to glue back together our little country, what we need is hope and healing.
“Only when this Government starts to act like the “most open and transparent ever” will the healing begin and we can move on.”