The terms of reference in the new Covid-19 inquiry have been constructed to provide a platform for those with conspiracy theorist views, Labour leader Chris Hipkins says.
The National-led coalition Government decided in June last year to establish a “phase 2” of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Covid-19 Lessons, to take place after the completion of the original inquiry set up under the previous Labour Government.
Hipkins told Ryan Bridge on Herald NOW this morning that governments “didn’t generally establish a Royal Commission to look at political decisions made by their predecessors”.
But Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden said the Royal Commission was independent from the Government, and who the inquiry heard from in public hearings was decided by commissioners, not ministers.
“Expanding the terms of reference for the inquiry was a commitment in both the ACT-National and NZ First-National coalition agreements.
“[And] the terms of reference were informed by more than 13,000 New Zealanders who shared their views during public consultation on what should be in scope of the inquiry, and many submitters requested that vaccine safety and efficacy be included.”
Phase 2 would review key decisions taken by the Government in 2021 and 2022 related to the use of vaccines and lockdowns, in particular the extended lockdowns in Auckland and Northland, van Velden said.
Phase 2 also includes public hearings, which began this week, whereas phase 1 did not.
“The inquiry will assess whether key decisions struck a reasonable balance between public health goals and social and economic disruption – such as health and education outcomes,” van Velden said when she initially announced phase 2’s terms of reference last August.
Phase 2 would also assess the impact of decisions taken on inflation, debt and business activity, she said.
Findings and recommendations are expected to be made public early next year.
Hipkins told Bridge the “the fact that the [Royal Commission] terms of reference specifically exclude decisions made when New Zealand First were part of the [Labour-led coalition] Government … I think the terms of reference have been deliberately constructed to achieve a particular outcome, particularly around providing a platform for those who have conspiracy theorist views“.
“That seems to have been specifically written into the terms of reference that they get maximum airtime.”
NZ First were in coalition with the Labour Government for the initial months of the pandemic, although leader Winston Peters was publicly critical of the party – including its Covid-19 response – in the lead-up to the October 2020 election.
Hipkins also told Bridge he was working on a written response to questions sent to him as part of phase 2, and to be provided in writing as requested by the inquiry.
The former Covid-19 response minister said he wanted to be co-operative, but was non-committal when asked if he’d appear in person as part of the inquiry.
“[What] I don’t want to see happen is a whole lot of theatrics. I’m very interested in engaging with them on how … we can capture the lessons … [but] the terms of reference are certainly far more political than the first one.”
The purpose of the inquiry was to look at decisions the Government made at the time, and the impact these decisions had on communities and businesses in New Zealand “so we can learn from mistakes made and do better in the future”, van Velden said today.
“Therefore, the political decisions the previous Government made about vaccines and lockdowns need to be in scope of the inquiry, even if this hurts the egos of former ministers who want to avoid scrutiny.”
Phase 1 ended in November last year, with then-inquiry chairman professor Tony Blakely telling journalists vaccine mandates had caused huge pain to a “substantial minority” during the pandemic, and governments should consider whether their benefits outweighed their harms.
Social cohesion also needed to be considered when planning for future outbreaks, Blakely said.
Thirty-nine recommendations were made in the phase 1 inquiry, including for a central agency function to co-ordinate all-of-government preparation and response planning for pandemics, supported by strengthened scenario planning and modelling.
Hipkins told Bridge the Government was yet to accept the recommendations, with the report “sitting on a shelf”.
The report from Phase 1 of the inquiry was publicly available on the Royal Commission’s website, van Velden said.
“The Government will formally respond to the final report when it is delivered in February 2026, however, as the Minister of Internal Affairs I am only responsible for making sure the report is delivered on time and within budget.”
Cherie Howie is an Auckland-based reporter who joined the Herald in 2011. She has been a journalist for more than 20 years and specialises in general news and features.