New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins claims no one was forced to take Covid vaccines despite bringing in mandates when he was minister
- NZ PM says Covid jab not 'compulsory'
- Says people 'made their own choices'
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New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has sparked outrage after claiming no one was forced to get the Covid vaccine despite widespread mandates in his country.
Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Mr Hipkins was asked about an election promise by New Zealand First leader Winston Peters to compensate New Zealanders injured by the vaccine or forced out of employment because of mandates.
'There is a process for people who are injured in a medical procedure, there's already processes in place for dealing with that,' Mr Hipkins said.
'In terms of the vaccine mandates, I acknowledge that it was a challenging time for people but they ultimately made their own choices.
'There was no compulsory vaccination, people made their own choices.'
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has been called out for claiming no one was forced to take the vaccine when he imposed mandates as a minister
The comments sparked outrage from Kiwis who lost their jobs, were refused travel or couldn't see loved ones in aged or hospital care because they refused the Covid jabs during the pandemic.
Mr Hipkins was the country's minister at the time of the pandemic before rising to the role of Prime Minister on January 22.
Angry comments flooded X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, accusing Mr Hipkins of 'gaslighting', which means to manipulate someone into distrusting their perceptions, experiences or understanding of events.
'There was mandatory vaccinations in New Zealand for health workers, military, teachers & police officers,' one noted.
'It isn't a choice when you can't continue your uni degree, keep your job, open your business, play your sport, or participate in life. without it,' another wrote.
'And he damned well knew it when he forced the mandates.'
One account even invited New Zealanders to share their stories around the 'choices' they made around vaccination and mandates, and the impact on their lives.
'Did it feel like a 'voluntary undertaking' to you?' the account asked.
The majority of responses answered firmly in the negative.
'My wife and I are teachers. We could not work!' one reply read.
A woman gets a drive-through Covid vaccination in the New Zealand city of Whangarei
'Even when the mandates ended I was still asked my vaccine status at interviews as the school board hadn't changed their policy. After 6 months we moved to UK where sanity prevails.'
'Not voluntary!' another fusmed.
'Every day life things withheld including access to family members was coersion in to compiling with their orders!
'Get jabbed or else! Thats exactly how it was! Coercion under duress is not consent!'
'And if you weren't vaccinated you couldn't come home......' one person noted about New Zealand's draconian border laws at the time.
In March 2021, while he was the Covid Response Minister, Mr Hipkins imposed mandatory vaccinations for border protection workers 'on the frontline'.
At the time he claimed no one was being forced to take the vaccines.
He admitted some people were refusing vaccines on reasonable grounds, such as pregnant women who wanted to wait until after their baby was born.
A customs employee who was sacked for refusing the vaccine took his bosses to the Employment Court of New Zealand before a decision was made in his favour on June 30.
