Covid Inquiry Update

We are happy to announce that the terms of reference on the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Covid-19 response have been expanded.

This includes what we committed to in our coalition agreement, to:

Ensure, as a matter of urgency in establishment and completion, a full scale, wide ranging, independent inquiry conducted publicly with local and international experts, into how the Covid pandemic was handled in New Zealand, including covering:

• Use of multiple lockdowns,
• Vaccine procurement and efficacy,
• The social and economic impacts on both regional and national levels, and
• Whether the decisions made, and steps taken, were justified.

And further terms of reference will now include:

• The cost-effectiveness of the Government’s policies, and whether the rules set by the Government appropriately balanced Covid-19 elimination with other goals
• The Government’s utilisation of partnerships with business and professional groups
• The extent of disruption to New Zealanders’ health, education, and business as a result of the Government’s policies
• If the Government’s response was consistent with the rule of law
• How New Zealand’s pandemic preparedness compared to other countries