7 Apr 2020

Coronavirus: Health Minister admits to lockdown breaches

From Morning Report, 6:39 am on 7 April 2020

Health minister David Clark has offered to resign after admitting to more more breaches of the Level 4 lockdown.

He has admitted that in addition to driving to a mountain bike track on the first weekend of the Alert Level 4 lockdown, he also drove his family approximately 20 kilometres from his house in Dunedin to Doctor's Point Beach for a walk.

Dr Clark says in a statement released this morning that he has provided the Prime Minister with a complete picture of my activity outside my home during Alert Level 4.

Included In his statement David Clark admitted the trip was a clear breach of the lockdown principles that require New Zealanders to stay local.

"As the Health Minister it's my responsibly to not only follow the rules but set an example to other New Zealanders," he said.

"At a time when we are asking New Zealanders to make historic sacrifices I've let the team down. I've been an idiot, and I understand why people will be angry with me."

He has also admitted he drove his family to a walking track approximately two kilometres from their house for a walk. Prime Minister released her own statement in response.

"Under normal conditions I would sack the Minister of Health. What he did was wrong, and there are no excuses," she said.

"But right now, my priority is our collective fight against Covid-19.

"We cannot afford massive disruption in the health sector or to our response.  For that reason, and that reason alone, Dr Clark will maintain his role.

"But he does need to pay a price. He broke the rules.

"While he maintains his Health portfolio, I am stripping him of his role as Associate Finance Minister and demoting him to the bottom of our Cabinet rankings.

"I expect better, and so does New Zealand."