National's Simon Bridges says the protest at Parliament is the "Beehive's mess and they've got to fix it".
Bridges told Q+A's Jack Tame the only way the protest will be resolved, which is now in its 13th day, is by the Beehive.
Speaking from Tauranga after Q+A's interview with Police Commissioner Andrew Coster, Bridges said it was "incumbent on the Government to realise this isn't just about the protesters".
"Actually, it’s also about quite a significant chunk of New Zealanders who are worried, who are stressed, who are sick and tired of what they see as arbitrary, capricious, changing rules and regulations, whether it's traffic lights, RATs, isolation periods, MIQ that’s passed its use by date, whether it’s the mandates themselves," Bridges said.
READ MORE: ‘A matter for others’ — Police commissioner on keeping job
"I think the Government really has to come to grips with that and give New Zealanders a sense of the journey and what needs to be happen."
Under pressure over how the occupation of Parliament has been handled, Coster would not be drawn on whether he's confident he will retain his job.
"I’m focused on the job at hand, I think that’s what people would expect me to do, and that’s a matter for others."
Coster also said police were taking its existing de-escalation approach as it believed the alternative of a forceful pushback could not be justified.
“I think police could clear the protest, but I don’t think the harm that would come from how we would need to do that is acceptable relative to the harm that the protest is doing,” he said.
“The balance we have here is keeping the peace and enforcing the law. The tactics need to be appropriate for the safest outcome.”
The police commissioner said the alternative would involve tear gas and batons being deployed on Parliament’s grounds.
Bridges in response said he understood and had some sympathy for the position Coster is in.
"I don’t think New Zealanders do want to see police going in with batons and tear gas. That’s not to excuse what’s going on… I don’t think they want that," he said.
"In the end I come back to it. This will be resolved, but the only way it will be resolved is by the Beehive."
SHARE ME