The handling of dumped official papers relating to Covid-19 has shown the government in a new light.

On Friday, the government dumped a revealing mass of documents related to its response to the pandemic.

A leaked email, obtained by Newstalk ZB, shows ministers were told not to comment on the contents of hundreds of official documents.

Former MP Peter Dunne said today that email was a sign this Government was no different from any others in practising 9th floor "grubby" tactics.

While the PM's office has called the email "clumsy", Dunne told Mike Hosking "that doesn't hide the fact they see themselves as bullet-proof, 'we don't need to explain, everyone loves us'."

"People have not seen [Jacinda Ardern] a control freak before... this reveals the reality. It also acknowledges the fact this is a Cabinet with some mighty weak links, probably more than average."

He says it shows the reality of how the government operates.

"It does really drawl back the cover from what looked like this almost Camelot-like Ninth Floor. It is now just as out there and down and grubby as every other Ninth Floor has been over the years."