Some simple observations on part two of the Covid Inquiry.

1) It's cheaper than the British equivalent finished last week that cost over half a billion dollars.

2) It says pretty much what you thought it would.

3) I'm convinced it’s a waste of time because a pandemic response is about the ideology and Government of the day, not medical process.

4) Why do I say that? Read the report. It says numerous times good advice was ignored.

5) Did the Labour Government, broadly, cock it up? Yes.

6) Badly? Yes.

7) The report says, at its heart, people tried hard. They wanted to do the right thing.

8) Is that an acceptable answer? Sort of. But wanting to do well isn't the same as actually doing well.

9) It's hard to work out what's worse – the medical cock-ups or the financial ones.

10) Grant Robertson and his economic vandalism come out of it probably as bad as Jacinda Ardern and her megalomania.

11) They were too slow, I would argue because they were lazy. They sat in Opposition for nine years not expecting to get to Government, they weren't sharp or ready, so not only did Winston hand them a lifeline, they got a pandemic. They never stood a chance. They weren't match fit.

12) It's as much our fault as anyone. A party that gets about 30% support in an MMP election got 50% in 2020. Too many of us loved being told how to wipe our bums and too many of us were too lazy to think and work out where it was all heading.

13) The tide turned and (given any response whether it be a pandemic, war, or just plain policy is reliant on public goodwill) once it did turn Labour were done for.

14) The fact Ardern can't live in the country tells you very clearly how badly the tide turned.

15) I am no more confident today that we are any more ready for a pandemic, although if we can take anything from the report;

16) It’s the recommendation that public debt needs to drop so we can be more ready for an unpredictable world. War, anyone?

17) Neither of the reports were really needed. We are the experts because we lived through it. Some of us still bear the scars.

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Mike's Minute: My observations on the Covid Inquiry

The Mike Hosking Breakfast