Covid-19 Inquiry update 

We are happy to announce that we are expanding the terms of reference on the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Covid-19 response – and we want your say.

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 

The public will have an opportunity to make submissions from the 8th of February and we will inform you of further details on this process in due course. 

This inquiry was campaigned on by New Zealand First leading up to the 2023 election and has been highly anticipated by many New Zealanders. 

It demonstrates great progress on the crucial commitments New Zealand First has made, to strengthen democracy and freedom in New Zealand.