I don’t think there’ll be too many complaints about the report from phase two of the COVID inquiry.

Because, for $14 million, we’ve all got something out of it. That’s $14 million for this phase. Phase one cost us about $17 million.  

If you’re anti-vax or vaccine-weary, you’ve got the bit in the report about officials not telling ministers that 12 to 17-year-olds shouldn't really have been getting two doses of the vaccine. Because of the risk of myocarditis.  

That was an absolute shocker that one.  

If you think Jacinda was a saint and saved us all, you’re probably having a bit of a “told you so” moment.  

Irrespective of how patronising she and her ministers got the longer the pandemic went on, you’ll be having your “told you so” moment because the report says, overall, New Zealand's approach was good.  

If you think the Government got it wrong thinking that the team of five million would stick together no matter what, you’ll be happy with the report too. 

Because it says some of the mandates went on too long, and the Government failed to communicate well enough with us.  

In fact, i can’t think of anyone who won’t feel they’ve got at least something out of it. 

Except NZ First Leader Winston peters, perhaps. 

He says many people think the inquiry has been one-sided and the damage is done. 

The damage he’s talking about there is the damage from the mandates. 

He says: “The employment and wage-scarring impacts of the mandates were significant. The Labour Government made no attempt to monitor these impacts and the devastating results that would come to our country. 

“These mandates and lockdowns cost thousands of jobs and had a devastating effect on our economy and people’s health and livelihoods - all of which were avoidable.”

And I agree with him that not enough thought was given about the long-term consequences of the mandates. Which, at the time, I supported. 

Winston Peters says: “the report brings questions that need to be answered by Hipkins and Verrall and all those other former ministers. They cannot brush this off.”

One of those former ministers, Chris Hipkins, said on Newstalk ZB this morning that he doesn‘t think his involvement in the COVID response and the findings of the inquiry will put people off voting for him.    

And I agree with him. Anyone who holds a grudge now will always hold a grudge. And there’s nothing Chris Hipkins can do to change that.  

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