National leader Simon Bridges sticks to his arms over clash with health chief Ashley Bloomfield

National leader Simon Bridges is sticking to his guns in an attack on chief health officer Ashley Bloomfield, after the couple clashed at a committee hearing last week.

During the Epidemic Response Committee last week, Bridges criticized Bloomfield, saying his Ministry had not answered written questions.

“You are simply not responding despite repeated requests.”

He accused Bloomfield of trying to “control the flow of information” in a way that is convenient for both him and the government.

“I’ll be frank with you, I don’t think it’s a resource problem,” said Bridges.

At the time, Bloomfield rejected Bridges’ comments.

He said he would examine the problems and if there was a problem he would fix it personally and send the information to the committee as soon as possible.

But today, a letter Bloomfield wrote to Bridges appeared on the Ministry’s website: It said the Health Ministry’s responses to the committee have been “timely, objective, and accurate.”

The letter said Bridges’ claim that the Official Information Act had been “suspended” was incorrect.

“The Ministry of Health has not received any order to suspend the Official Information Law of 1982 and we continue to respond to requests from the OIA,” he said.

“Every effort is being made to ensure that people receive information as soon as it can be reasonably provided.”

Bridges was asked about the letter this afternoon, and he stuck to his weapons.

He doubled down on his previous comments that it took the committee two and a half weeks to receive written questions from the Ministry.

“I think there is no doubt that the answers to the questions we have asked have consistently taken weeks.

“I do not think it is good enough, we have the right as Parliament to get good and timely responses and that certainly did not happen.”