Former Covid-19 Response Minister and Labour leader Chris Hipkins has acknowledged errors in how the previous government managed aspects of the pandemic, particularly the transition away from elimination, Auckland’s extended lockdown, and the delayed border reopening.
On the Dom Harvey Podcast, Hipkins said the initial 18 months of the pandemic response were strong, but that the government failed to keep pace once Covid spread in the community. He also admitted Aucklanders could have had more freedom while still under regional restrictions and said the border reopening was hindered by trying to accommodate airline concerns, which ultimately hurt the government’s image.
Hipkins defended his handling of “misinformation” and controversial moments, like the Northland border breach, pointing out that others made accusations he never endorsed. Regarding the 2022 Parliament protest he said some participants were well-meaning but got “swept up” in extremism.
Social media had amplified “echo chambers”, giving people the confidence to act aggressively toward those they disagreed with. What saddened him most, he said, was recognising some of the protesters. “I knew some of the people out there. I recognised some of their faces.”
“Not all of them were on the extreme end. Some were moderate, decent people who got caught up in something bigger.”
He acknowledged that not everyone protesting was anti-vaccine. “They just didn’t believe the government should do things that had an element of mandate about them, and so they were there on principle,” Hipkins explained. “I actually respected that, even though I disagreed with them.” However, he said those principled stances were overtaken by chaos. “They got sort of swept up in something that ended up becoming a violent protest where they were throwing bricks at police,” he said. “I don’t think that’s who many of those people really were, but it shows how these movements can morph and take on a life of their own.”
Reflecting on his broader political career, Hipkins discussed frustrations with stalled education reforms during the pandemic and admitted occasional missteps during 1pm briefings.
Hipkins confirmed he intends to lead Labour into the next election, citing his experience as “an asset” if returned to power.
The only chaos bought into the protest were the police and the agitators paid for and purposely inserted to create trouble. Hipkins is a joke, a disgrace and not worthy of leading anything in this country. His intentional cognitive dissonance is laughable. The only echo chamber was the beehive and Wellington. People are fleeing Wellington. It’s a sh1thole populated by people living in their own delusional state of minds.
Unbelievable. The condescending self righteousness and feigned affection for us poor sheep who didn’t agree with him is the ramblings of a psychopath. That’s right knob, you are a low level psychopath.
Unfortunately for NZ, a bunch of mentally challenged beneficiaries (not to mention the paid MSM) will support him.
What is that idiot smoking? Probably believes in the easter bunny too.
Not to be inflammatory but there could possibly be a typo in this brief article.
Instead of: citing his experience as “an asset”… should it not read: citing his experience as “an ass”..?
Just asking for a friend who thinks that if Hipkins had any virtue or integrity, he would have resigned from parliament for his deplorable behaviour instead of pathetically exonerating himself by blaming others.
Easter Egg.
Hipkins and his lies
The mere sight of this little bunt vaporizes my blood
Such a fake
Such a fraud
He’s got a damn cheek even opening his mouth
Trying to change history with his own fake memory. The echo chamber was JA and fake media.
What a fraud and a clear example of there are no mirrors in parliament. You can never be wrong if all your echo chambers agree with your propaganda, the exact words JA said.
There was no violent protesters. There was however violent police. The police were ordered by Hipkins and Arden to attack men women and children while they were asleep.
You never met with the protesters. People have died from the injections you tried to bribe then make life difficult for..
The US is going to expose the lot of you and when they start to arrest, prosecute, convect, execute or imprison those involved under the Nuremberg code, you will be real face justice.
Run and hide while you still can you little sneaky liar.
Yes the Parliament peaceful protest descended on by violet means as a form of denunciation
Which was like a small town and a lot of people lost a lot of valuable assets
True by this stage there were rebel rousers present
No doubt paid off deep state agitator operatives
Who were these violent thug cops – UN buffoons flown in or a mixture?
NZ is not a squeaky clean little country and not 100% green
In fact it has got a lot of problems
Growing pains for a young country is travail
Which can never be a Nation through race mixing miscegenation
Like.
Too many sausage rolls have rotted your brain, you sad excuse for a human being. The facts of the matter speak loud and clear, you deceived, you lied, and towed the party line at the behest of big pharma your paymasters.
Hipkins, you are a very sad unwelcome joke. It’s time to go do something useful like pick up the trail of garbage left in your wake, as you think about the harm you have caused…
This is what might need to happen on a global scale…and probably will!
https://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/news-selections/national-news/30-years-ago-today-oklahoma-city-bombing
Loathe this character. As for Labour, what a disgusting parody, of a democratic political party.
The only echo chamber here, is the reverberated sound of your empty excuses mate.
Memo to Chimpy Chipkins from the people of Aotearoa: F*** OFF YOU W**KER
Bold of you to assume you speak of behalf of all of Aotearoa.
Please remember that comments on this subject become emotive with anger, not all words are certain or etched in stone. Be flexible when reading.
you would be an idiot if you disagreed with that memo
Whats a woman Mr Chips?
Hipkin’s obvious contradictions are completely illogical and reveal their entrenched confidence in their continued control of sheeple to no doubt inflict even more genocide in future.
There’s another 18 months to the next elections in 2026. What’s really needed is some in-depth journalism/books/publications etc to be published in 6 month’s time so the NZ electorate has plenty of time before the next election to carefully digest step-by-step everything that happened to NZ over the past 5 years. All the lies then the subsequent changes to those lies with even more lies. Hipkins proves that their lying will never stop. The story needs to be told and fully understood by the majority of New Zealanders.
“Social media had amplified “echo chambers”, giving people the confidence to act aggressively toward those they disagreed with…”
Perfectly describes the LEFT wing, pro-vaccine automaton NPC’s to a tee. I agree wholeheartedly. Thanks Chris 👍
But you forgot to mention that you also had the full ensemble of mainstream media minions fanning the flames, corrupt judges willing to rubber stamp unconstitutional “emergency powers” and mandates, and that YOU YOURSELF were in front of the camera threatening the general public every day for almost two years.
Reminder to everyone that this man has been “appointed” to every important position he’s ever held, he’s never won an election, and only ever says what he’s been instructed to. His views are about as relevant as asking a bank robber their opinion of the robbery.
Judges cannot change the legislation of the house, they can only interpret it.
Here Parliament is supreme. And it is the politicians who are responsible for legislative change.
This is not the USA.
Also there is no left and right, that is merely a divisive diversion to reduce the legislature into a simple sport game.
Hipkins is a genius by blatantly illustrating why he has not the capacity to be able to function safely and effectively in our legislature.
Sorry but the judiciary acts on behalf of the Leftwing governments, always has, always will. Ardern had them in her pocket and they run interference for the Nats because the Nats want the same outcomes that Labour sought.
“…to reduce the legislature into a simple sport game.”
True words to a sad national sport smokescreen.
Bread (social benefits) and circus……………..
“Judges cannot change the legislation of the house, they can only interpret it.”
No, they only PRETEND to interpret it. Just a few short years ago they somehow misinterpreted “no one shall be forced or coerced into a medical procedure they don’t want” as “mandates are cool”.
This isn’t the USA, correct. Merely a Geyer, more regarded version of it.
And while I agree with you on Hipkins, I wouldn’t call him a “genius”. Ever 😆
Misinformation, what a sad b—– joke—
The jab will stop transmission—wrong.
The jab will stop you catching cv19— wrong.
You still need the jab even after attaining natural immunity—wrong.
Wear a mask it will stop transmission–wrong.
Stay 2m apart it will stop transmission– wrong. https://www.wnd.com/2025/04/white-house-unleashes-confirmation-feds-lied-to-americans-about-covid/
What an insufferable little weasel.
He has told so many lies he has no concept of the truth.
As the best in the world ever at Propaganda Joseph Goebbels once stated “If you tell a lie often enough over and over again, then after a while even you yourself will believe it to be true”.
A statement for the frail of mind.
A lie is a deceit no matter how many times it is repeated.
As the best in the world ever at Propaganda Joseph Goebbels once stated,,,,’
Go easy on the post war Jew Juise bro.
Let’s not forget that people like Hipkins are effectively puppets. We also need to expose his handlers and the people they work for.
Ardern Hipkins and Co are just dumdass bribed corrupt paid off WEF wind up toys. What they can not seem to grasp is that if you work to promote evil and the Devil is finished with your services you are going to be the very first to go to hell.
Exactly.
Chipkins is just yet another typical ghastly bent cunning pretend-stupid globalist middle-management puppet selling NZ down the river.
He likes to troll us every now and then- last time was it – no one was forced to be vacinated? If you dont see him as a servant of the devil you will continue to lose the fight.
Chipkins has gone from “we will find you” a hunt the unvaccinated down stance to not all of them were on the extemem end, some of them were moderate decent people. Changing face to suit the mood of the narrative for propaganda that he is directed to spout. The number of flouridated sleepers is declining Chipkins, you have gone from foolish to complete idiot by the words you spout
Well if you do troll us Hipkins, you and your ilk need to make sure you keep your distance and if you don’t I will hunt you down for real.
Time to resign bud, the game is up. You cannot feign ignorance or fake compassion anymore, no one is buying. Follow the example of Jabby and Turdeau
…but hide really well.
Might even need to pay for your own security detail one day.
This school boy is under the control of WEF. The so called labour party spin doctors are from London and likley MI6 agents. The debt level of kiwis is worse than US debt levels. Private debt is 120% of GDP and governmernt debt is 40% of GDP. The school boy will cut most welfare if elected. This is counter-intuitive but globalists and bankers will force this on us in the coming years.
Soft ball interview from a douche bag waanabe Joe Rogan. Interviewer could have hammered him with right questions but didnt. Like why did he not go out and talk to the protesters, a lot of whom he said he knew, and whether in hindsight that gutless decision by him and Ardern was the right one. Secondly hipkins has to be blind as a bat. He’s been married, had kids, and shagged around behind his missus’s back and he still got no clue what a woman is! What a clown show!
Somebody stick a “Kick me” sign to his back!
Chris Hipkins still can’t seem to comprehend that a large number of New Zealanders did not want to be injected with an unproven experimental MRNA pharmaceutical product fraudulently relabelled as ‘a vaccine’.
It’s become very obvious over recent years that Mr Hipkins is wholly unsuitable to hold public office.
But what woud he do? He is too vacant even for Harvard.
The usual ‘lying by omission’ and ‘half-truths’ routine from Hipkins.
“There were no compulsory vaccinations.”
https://x.com/TheZeitgeistNZ/status/1698866250611609983
We see you Chippy.
I’ve gone right off lying creepy woke ginger communists for some reason.
Is that racist?
OK lets recap Hipkins and what he did.
Hipkins is a lier and a cheat. He is not the least bit interested in democracy when he rushed through 24 bills under urgency. Here is a clip where he and the other bunch of swindlers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=pH6vBGKI4Ow
Interesting that these ghastly hive-mind rotters only consider “echo chambers” to exist for those of us who dare to criticise tyrannical government policy.
Hipkins has become a definite wrong ‘un sadly.
Hipkins is a ghastly unreliable chap obviously.
A fully untrustworthy weasel.
Hipkissass you are a lying piece of dog turd f off and f off again! You need to resign, you are a murderer, Arrest the scum now!
Hipkins is clearly deeply untrustworthy.
Yet weirdly people still vote for him.
Hipkins is simply a pustulant symptom of the cretinous far-left woke mind virus.
Solution: Just ignore him.
After the fake-horror covid sh*t show I don’t trust Chippy or any other politicians/doctors/or whatever for that matter.
F*ck em. They’re all done.
There was no covid …
Hey chppie. It’s over. Two possible scenarios. You lied, she lied or you are both dumber than rocks. Pack up your ill-gotten shit and exit, grateful that thousands like me did not act on our impulses at the time.
The covid vaccine causes heart problems and has killed million of people worldwide.
Just F off you dumbf*ck!
Too effin vacant to hold a valid job.
OMG…does this **** read comments, especially in DTNZ?
If he does it shows how much of an ill mind he has to still carry on with this charade.
And his family members and friends…are they then suffering from the same disorder?
Just imagine to carry that family name with you, maybe not right now but certainly in time to come.
https://nzdsos.com/2025/04/23/rci-submission-phase-2-are-we-circling-the-drain-again/
RCI Submission Phase 2: Are We Circling the Drain Again? By DrLatus Dextro
“When the New Zealand parliamentary derogation of established ethics is considered in the light of political statements in the recent past, it is clear that the populace of New Zealand has much to be concerned about regarding the ethics of its politicians and bureaucrats, and ipso facto, its governance:”
“Prime Minister Hipkins: ‘There was no compulsory vaccination, people made their own choices’. Chris Hipkins told reporters yesterday the COVID-19 jab was not compulsory, even though it was “mandated.” ”
“Esteemed Commissioners, you may undoubtedly recognise, this revealing and politically disingenuous perversion of language as a widely used trick chiefly used to conceal strategies and intentions bereft of constituency. ‘A parallel language of legalese inverts many common uses (e.g. a civil summons being merely an invitation, a mandate being a request and not an order, enforcement not having actual force of law‘. Martin Geddes, ‘Future Communications’ (2023)”
“Given these observations then, the New Zealand Ministry of Health state in its 2024 New Zealand Pandemic Plan ‘framework for action‘ (Interim update July 2024) Pandemic Vaccine, pp147, that: the government may,
“…consider imposing restrictions under legislation on people who choose not to accept vaccination, in relation to work, access to premises and other activities. If legislative measures of this nature are adopted, consideration needs to be given to the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act, legitimate exemptions, international travel requirements and public acceptability in light of the wider framework of response measures.” ”
“As alluded to previously, NEAC (2022) expressed in tacit terms that a derogation of the UN ECOSOC Siracusa Principles is possible by adapting New Zealand laws, or we may need to have new laws passed in order to be able to ethically respond to a pandemic (pp. 31).”
If New Zealanders only realised the political power of the social license they own and that they may readily refuse submission to governance, then the political landscape, with its nigh on worthless, self-interested and unethical occupants, changes very, very swiftly in the face of its manifest impotence.
Experience Chris is only useful if you have actually learned from your mistakes, which you have not.