A former Labour and ACT MP wants a Royal Commission into New Zealand's Covid-19 response.

Richard Prebble - a six-term Labour and three-term ACT MP - says a Commission could look into such issues as New Zealand's pandemic preparedness.

In a piece for the NZ Herald, Prebble highlighted a series of shortcomings that need further examination.

"The Government has concluded the political cost of refusing to hold an enquiry is less than the cost to its reputation of having one," he wrote.

Prebble told Heather du Plessis-Allan we need to see what's to be learned so we're ready for future pandemics, and the Government doesn't need to be targetted. 

"I suspect if we got an inquiry, we would start to learn the lessons immediately."

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