Former Prime Minister Helen Clark is among those criticising a photo of Jacinda Ardern, where the Prime Minister and nearly 120 Youth MPs are maskless.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro pose mask-less with MPs and Youth MPs. Photo: JACINDA ARDERN/ FACEBOOK
The photo, posted to Ardern's Facebook and Instagram accounts was to celebrate the 2022 Youth Parliament, and was taken on a staircase in the Beehive on Tuesday.
Also in the photo are Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro, Deputy Speaker Adrian Rurawhe, Minister for Youth Priyanca Radhakrishnan, and National's youth spokesperson Matt Doocey.
Only one person in the crowded photo is visibly wearing a mask.
Replying to a Twitter post criticising the photo, Helen Clark said it was "indeed shocking to see the unmasked youth parliament. What on earth are they thinking. NZ is in the middle of a pandemic surge."
A spokesperson for the prime minister said she and others in the photo had been wearing their masks, but briefly removed them at the request of the photographer for the photo.
The post does include other photos of Ardern and the Youth MPs wearing masks.
Another photo posted to Jacinda Ardern's Facebook page show people wearing masks. Photo: JACINDA ARDERN/ FACEBOOK
On Friday, the government ramped up its mask messaging, imploring the public to wear masks as New Zealand grapples with the BA.5 Omicron variant and the flu.
Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said "mask-wearing should be like a seatbelt".
The photo was coincidentally posted on the same day an email was sent out to everyone working at Parliament from Speaker Trevor Mallard.
"It has come to my attention that some people are not wearing their masks when moving around the public areas on precinct, and are ignoring security when approached about this.
"Apart from a couple of members/staff who have notified me of a medical exemption, everyone in these buildings should be wearing their masks when moving about.
"For the safety of all on the precinct, I remind you of this rule. It applies to everyone."