Judith Collins has taken a sledge-hammer to the Government and has scored hit after hit after hit. Here is her take on Chris Hipkins:
Covid-19 Minister Chris Hipkins should resign over the sluggish vaccine rollout – but can’t because Labour cannot find a good enough minister to replace him, says National leader Judith Collins.
And Collins is none too pleased with director general of health Ashley Bloomfield either, saying his “best” was “not good enough”.
Asked if Hipkins should resign if a more capable minister was waiting in the wings, Collins said “exactly”.
“At the moment, the problem is who would Jacinda Ardern replace him with – is there somebody else who’s capable?” Collins said.
Collins said no one in Cabinet could fill Hipkins’ shoes.
That’s just the start, she continues with a sledge against Stuart Nash:
“Stuart Nash has been stupid,” Collins said, accusing the economic development minister of promulgating an “anti-vaxxer-type message” about vaccinations.
Nash, who has himself been vaccinated, has said the country would still lock down even if vaccination rates were at 80 per cent.
And Kris Faafoi:
“I once thought a lot of Kris Faafoi, but look how hopeless he’s been,” she said.
And Ashley Bloomfield:
“We try not to personally go after the director general,” Collins said.
“I think that Dr Bloomfield has done his best, but his best is not good enough,” Collins said.
“He has an entire team of thousands, who are paid to do things; he’s got a minister and he’s got the Prime Minister with him and supporting him in everything he does – and he can’t order the vaccine on time and get it into people’s arms,” Collins said.
“The Prime Minister may have confidence in him and so might the minister but I have to say we are starting to feel the gold gilt is starting to wear off,” she said.
And the Ministry of Health:
“When you look at the Ministry of Health and the way in which they have completely cocked up this whole thing [the vaccine rollout], you have to wonder as to who’s in charge,” Collins said
“Now, standing up telling everybody ‘look, be kind and be caring’ and whatever – ultimately, you’re dealing with a Ministry of Health and Government that failed to order the vaccine, failed to get the first order in until the 29th of January, failed to get it approved, failed to get all sorts of things done, and then failed to use GPs and pharmacists, who are the people in their communities that we trust,” Collins said.
Is there anyone at all who is competent with this Government?
“I can’t see that there is someone more competent in all the people they’ve got – maybe Ayesha Verrall, maybe she could be, but it’s not my job. I’m not the Prime Minister, it’s not my job to pick her Cabinet,” Collins said.
Yet.
The Government has driven us down a cul-de-sac with their elimination strategy. We know it isn’t working because for three days now we haven’t seen the Prime Minister at the stand-ups. She only ever delivers good news, so she isn’t fronting.
It has been left to Hipkins and even Grant Robertson to front.
It is starting to look like this outbreak has got away on them. From the border and MIQ breach that it can only have come from, to the tardy vaccine rollout, to failures in contact tracing, to failure to order booster shots.
The Government is going to have to start pivoting to something other than an elimination strategy but in doing so they are going to have to admit to all the failures they’ve delivered that has forced the issue.
And they can’t blame anyone but themselves.
No wonder they wanted Parliament shut down; there is no way they’d cope with the pressure at Question Time.
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