National promises public inquiry into Covid response if elected

National has renewed calls for a royal commission inquiry into the Government's Covid response.

Speaking to NewstalkZB's Mike Hosking, National's Covid spokesman Chris Bishop said the party would start a royal commission inquiry into the Government's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in New Zealand within the first 100 days of taking office.

"We will have a panel potentially of retired judges, legal experts, a coroner, epidemiologist and a public health expert... a range of people.

"We will think about that after we win the election."

National's Covid response spokesman Chris Bishop says National will hold public inquiry into Government's Covid response within first 100days of taking office. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Bishop said the inquiry was important so the Government could be independently scrutinised on a "whole litany of stuff-ups".

"So many things to talk about - the rapid antigen tests debacle, failure to order enough vaccines, the fact that Pfizer emailed us in June 2020 about the development of the vaccine, Northland lockdown - as well many things to look at."

Bishop said the pandemic was one of the biggest events in New Zealand's history, "it cost the Government hundreds of billions of dollars and affected lives of all New Zealanders".

"I think the Government's initial response was good. But from November 2020, it went wrong, [with the] late roll out of vaccines. During the election campaign, the Government organised its vaccine supply.

"We were one of the last countries in the developed world to respond to Pfizer and order vaccines from them.

"I don't think they've had enough criticism on that. Delta, when it hit in August 2021, just 20 per cent of New Zealand was vaccinated. It is unforgivable."

The first call for a royal commission inquiry into Government's Covid response was made in October last year by the National party under the leadership of Judith Collins.