Chris Hipkins is defending the Government after a woman who sparked Northland's lockdown last year accused politicians of bullying her.
The woman was accused of cheating her way across the border but police ruled out laying any charges against her on Tuesday.
Speaking with AM, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins defended the Government's treatment of the woman.
"We share the information we are given at the time and the information that is available at the time so people can understand what's going on and why we are making the decisions that we are making," he told AM.
Hipkins said he hadn't actually seen the police's report but would read it.
When asked what evidence the Government had showing the woman broke the rules, Hipkins said he couldn't remember but would find out.
"We are going back a long way and I will have to go back and find all of the notes that we were given at the time.
"Police indicating there is insufficient evidence for a prosecution doesn't necessarily mean there is no evidence at all, it just means the threshold for prosecution is a very high one."
Hipkins said the Government has been very careful not to unfairly criticise anyone during the COVID-19 pandemic
"That doesn't mean that information being shared hasn't led to people being criticised but generally it hasn't been us that has been doing that.
"At the time I recall being pretty careful about what judgement we were making about people. We were trying to be as open as possible about what information we were getting about what had happened and what the risk around that was.
"I think that was absolutely the right thing to do but I do acknowledge that sometimes leads to other people passing judgement and making criticisms, but the 'be kind' message is one we have been sharing for a reason."
It comes after one of the women involved told the NZ Herald many of the claims made by police and politicians about her were untrue. She does not address Hipkins' claim that she was uncooperative in the interview.
Northland was put in alert level 3 lockdown on October 8 last year after an Auckland woman travelling in the region tested positive. During a live press conference, Hipkins accused the woman of using "false information" to get through the border. Later police revealed they were also searching for the woman's travelling companion. The companion was eventually found and both women were put in MIQ.
It was revealed the Ministry of Social Development had mistakenly approved business travel documents allowing the pair to enter the region. The documents were later revoked.
At the time, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern called the women's actions "irresponsible," "dangerous" and "extraordinarily frustrating". Whangārei Mayor Sheryl Mai said she was "ropeable".
But on Tuesday police revealed after a thorough investigation, they found insufficient evidence to prosecute.
"There was insufficient evidence to prove that the women obtained their business travel documents by deception or that they crossed the alert level border for a purpose other than what was stated on those travel documents".
It's not the first time the Government has come under fire for its treatment of COVID cases during the pandemic. In March last year a COVID positive KFC worker, known as Case L, expressed unhappiness over her treatment. She told Newshub she was the victim of ridicule online after the Prime Minister told the country she should have been self-isolating. But the woman said the official advice she got was that she didn't need to.
