A second royal commission into New Zealand's pandemic response has found "scars" were left by the government's handling of COVID-19, but on the whole it was "considered and appropriate".
Kiwis were plunged back into pandemic politics by the fresh probe on Tuesday, which covered a period many would like to forget.
Both Jacinda Ardern, then-prime minister, and Labour leader Chris Hipkins, who was COVID-19 Minister for much of the response, welcomed the report.
That didn't stop the conservative government, which commissioned the second report, from going on the attack.
Health Minister Simeon Brown said an over-egged economic response, family separations and temporary shutdown of services hurt Kiwis.
"Ordinary New Zealanders paid the price through longer lockdowns than were necessary, through spending that drove up the cost of living, and through health and education systems still catching up today," he told parliament.
Broadly, the royal commission was kind to ministers and officials tasked with tackling the pandemic, saying they "often had to work at breakneck pace to keep up with the rapidly changing environment and the multitude of tasks".
"The success of Aotearoa New Zealand’s pandemic response, most obviously measured in terms of New Zealand’s low death rates and excess mortality, is a credit to their work and dedication and to the quality of the decisions they took," it read.
Commissioners also cited "pain and anger" of many Kiwis at restrictions.
Mr Brown used cabinet records to argue Mr Hipkins extended a harsh lockdown in Auckland for nearly a week longer than health officials advised.
"Aucklanders were asked to sacrifice more than they needed to, and they were never told the full story," he said.
Mr Hipkins rejected that, saying Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield changed his advice and told Kiwis at the time.
The Labour leader quoted the report which stated: "New Zealand had among had one of the best pandemic responses in the world" and was "enviable".
In a rare statement addressing her time in office, Dame Jacinda, along with her deputy Grant Robertson, agreed.
"We got a lot right. More than most. But there are areas that could have been better," the pair said.
Leading Labour figures declined requests to appear before public hearings, labelling them "show trials", instead offering evidence in private interviews.
Mr Brown also argued ministers overlooked health advice that teenagers should not receive a second vaccine dose due to myocarditis risk.
In fact, the Royal Commission found that this advice did not reach ministers in a "significant" failure.
The pandemic shaped New Zealand's politics profoundly.
Dame Jacinda's Labour-led government was rewarded for its world-leading elimination of the virus at the ballot box in October 2020, winning a rare majority government.
In the following years, Kiwis tired of restrictions - particularly in Auckland, where lockdowns were lengthy and tough - booted Labour from office in 2023.
The probe issued 24 recommendations, mainly to improve government decision-making structures, which will the government is considering.
