Photo: RNZ
The first report from a Royal Commission of Inquiry to review the country's response to the Covid-19 pandemic was delivered to the government on Thursday.
We're not sure what will be made public immediately. But here's what we do know:
How did the inquiry come about?
New Zealand had among the lowest rates of fatalities from Covid in the world, in large part because the country prevented widespread transmission of the virus until vaccines became available.
But big sacrifices were made. There were boarder closures, national and regional lockdowns, and vaccine and mask mandates, for example.
At the end of 2022, then-prime minister Jacinda Ardern announced a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Covid pandemic response. It aimed to look at the lessons learnt, and help the country better prepare for future pandemics.
Ardern said it was important a Royal Commission of Inquiry - the highest level of investigation available to the government - was undertaken, instead of a government inquiry or public inquiry, for example.
"[It] is the right thing to do, given the Covid-19 emergency was the most significant threat to the health of New Zealanders and our economy since World War II."
Australian-based epidemiologist Professor Tony Blakely was named chair, with former Cabinet minister Hekia Parata and former Treasury secretary John Whitehead making up the panel. Parata resigned, citing personal reasons, at the end of 2023.
What did it cover?
The purpose of the inquiry, titled the New Zealand Royal Commission Covid-19 Lessons Learned, was to learn from the experience of the pandemic to prepare for the future.
Cabinet approved its terms of reference on 5 December 2022.
In a briefing to journalists on Wednesday, Blakely said: "Our terms of reference, despite what some have said, were broad. And we've been broad."
The inquiry looked at the public health response, the provision of goods and services, the economic response, government communication, engagement, and decision-making, as well as what kinds of legislative and policy settings could improve the country's response to a future pandemic.
What's the second phase?
The second phase was born from National's coalition agreements with both ACT and NZ First.
The National-ACT agreement promised to: "Broaden the terms of reference of the Royal Commission into the Covid-19 response, subject to public consultation."
The National-NZ First agreement went further: "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."
It promised to cover: "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, where justified."
Budget 2024 allocated $14 million towards expanding the terms of reference of the Covid inquiry. Roughly the same amount as the initial inquiry's budget.
In June, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden, who led the process for expanding the inquiry's scope, announced the inquiry would be split into two phases, with new commissioners.
And at the end of August, van Velden announced the terms of reference for the second phase.
Essentially, it will review:
- Vaccine approval, safety, monitoring and mandates;
- The imposition and maintenance of national and regional lockdowns;
- The procurement, development, and distribution of testing and tracing technologies and non-pharmaceutical public health materials.
The inquiry doesn't have the power to determine the civil, criminal, or disciplinary liability of any person.
Litigation specialist Grant Illingworth KC has been appointed chair, and barrister Anthony Hill, also a former health and disability commissioner, and public policy professional Judy Kavanagh have been appointed as commissioners.
When will the reports be made public?
The first phase concluded on 28 November, with Blakely and Whitehead resigning from their roles at the same time.
The second phase will begin on 29 November, and is expected to conclude in early-2026.
It's been reported van Velden will withhold the first report for months.
A spokesperson for van Velden told RNZ: "At this stage the report has yet to be received by the minister, however, she is actively considering when it will be released after she receives it."
Blakely said the report was "ready to go at the hit of a button". He was "hopeful" it would be released soon, to allow the second phase to build on the first.
What's in the report?
Blakely stopped short of saying what was in the report but told reporters it was 600 pages and provided 39 recommendations.
It involved speaking with 1600 people, ranging from prime ministers to health experts to business, iwi, and community leaders, 13,000 submissions, and 133,000 pages of evidence.
He described the country's pandemic response as a "game of two halves".
"We did well in the first year and then the wheels became a bit wobbly."
He said the commission was careful to make recommendations that were "doable", and able to be prioritised.
On Wednesday, further planned cuts at Health NZ - Te Whatu Ora were revealed, involving hundreds of public health service roles.
When asked what that could mean for future pandemic preparedness, Blakely said all over the world, countries' health systems were experiencing financial stress.
"We've been careful in our report to not have a wish list. But there are no-brainers. We have to have a meaningful and viable workforce in public health for the next pandemic. And the ability to scale that up."
