The Prime Minister is politicising the public service by making Labour Party campaign videos featuring public servants,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.
“It’s completely unacceptable for campaign videos to be filmed inside the Ministry of Health featuring public servants including the Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield.
“How can the public have faith that the Ministry of Health will be held accountable for mistakes if its helping Labour with its campaign?
“We need to know whether Ashley Bloomfield agreed to be part of the Labour Party campaign advertisement, or whether Labour is abusing the civil service.
“Other political parties don’t have access to the resources of Government and Labour should know better than abusing its privileged position.
“This comes after the Prime Minister’s fiancé was recently featured in an advertisement for the New Zealand Police and Dr Ashley Bloomfield openly criticised another party’s policy in his widely broadcast daily press conference.
“Public servants need to be able to work under Governments of all stripes, politicising them will make this much more difficult when we have a change of Government.
"Government departments helping one party win an election is the hallmark of a one party state. What’s next, videos of Jacinda with the army and the chief of the airforce?
“The Prime Minister said this week she wants the politics taken out of the Covid-19 response. She should start by following her own advice and delete this inappropriate political advertisement.”