Kate Hawkesby: We've not learnt much from lockdowns - supermarkets still can't plan ahead

Early Edition with Ryan Bridge · Feb 12, 2023 · 2m

I see Aucklanders coming in for a lot of criticism for rushing out to supermarkets and filling their trolleys over the weekend before Cyclone Gabrielle’s arrival, but in defence of Aucklanders: why wouldn’t they?

I mean that’s what Civil Defence, the Mayor, and all the media were telling them to do. Not only that, they were putting out those messages in a concentrated timeframe. We were being told to get enough supplies for 3 days, and to do that by the end of the weekend.

So you had a mad flurried 48-hour period where people went berserk in supermarkets.

You can’t tell everyone to stock up…