Weekly interview with opposition leader, Chris Hipkins
·11 min·1 clip
The host asks why Chris Hipkins didn't tell families about myocarditis risk advice at press conferences.
The episode begins with the host introducing the weekly interview with opposition leader Chris Hipkins. The first topic is the government's contingency plans for fuel supply, including trading 'tickets' for fuel allowances. Hipkins agrees that prioritizing supply and planning for worst-case scenarios, like a floating terminal off Marsden Point, is correct. He notes that cashing in tickets may involve buying fuel from further afield, taking longer to reach New Zealand. The discussion shifts to pressures on farmers and forestry, with Westpac's chief economist Kelly Eccleld suggesting diesel rationing. Hipkins emphasizes the need for clear eligibility criteria if rationing occurs, drawing parallels to COVID-19 essential worker definitions. He proposes flexible working hours to reduce peak traffic and fuel demand, and criticizes the government for cutting public transport subsidies. The interview then moves to COVID-19, specifically advice on myocarditis risk for teens from a second vaccination. The host challenges Hipkins on why he didn't make this information public in March 2022, despite a cabinet paper showing the advice was received. Hipkins clarifies that the advice was specific to education mandates for a small number of teenagers, not the general two-dose schedule. He states that the cabinet paper was approved for proactive release and that myocarditis risks were widely discussed throughout the vaccination program. The host presses on why Hipkins didn't mention it at press conferences, to which he responds that there were hundreds of cabinet papers and he wasn't personally tracking each release. The episode concludes with Hipkins defending the government's communication efforts.
