MP Shane Jones emphasised today the importance of critiquing the Government's Covid-19 response amid the latest outbreak, even though he's a minister in that coalition Government.
New Zealand First recently backed National's call to reconvene the Health Select Committee next week.
Appearing on TVNZ1's Breakfast today alongside National's Paula Bennett as part of the programme's weekly political panel, Mr Jones said it’s “just not credible” for parliamentarians to not have the opportunity to question the Government’s response.
“Are there bespoke solutions to better manage these border matters, or do we have to rely on the power of the state and bring in the army?
“It’s just not credible for parliamentarians not to have the opportunity to question not only how are we doing it, but is there an alternative?”
Mr Jones said the Select Committee is one of the most “critical elements” of Parliament.
“The National Party have an opportunity to ask questions of my friend [Health Minister] Chris Hipkins in terms of health and they’re able to ask questions of the Prime Minister.
“We thought it was a very useful thing to do given the gravity of the economic impact of the lockdown in Auckland and the challenges of managing that particular domestic border, and the necessity, quite frankly, for the health department and Ashley [Bloomfield, the Director-General of Health] to answer the questions of the politicians. There’s nothing unusual about that.”
Mr Jones said NZ First shows its independence through taking a “different approach” to either public policy, or even teaming up with National for the Select Committee.
Ms Bennett agreed on the importance of the Select Committee, saying it gives those involved the opportunity to “really dig in deeper” and get some answers.
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