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”. 

Both the Act-National and New Zealand First-National coalition agreements included commitments to expanding the inquiry to cover “outstanding matters of concern”, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden said, when she announced in August the Government had finalised phase 2’s terms of reference. 

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. 

Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden announced last year a second phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Covid-19 Lessons. Photo / Mark Mitchell 

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. 

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. 

Labour's Chris Hipkins was Covid-19 response minister during the pandemic. Photo / Jason Dorday 

The Herald has contacted van Velden for comment on Hipkins’ claims this morning. 

“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," Hipkins said. 

“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 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.” 

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. 

Protesters and police face-off during the three-week occupation of Parliament grounds in 2022 over the Government’s Covid-19 vaccine mandates. 

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”. 

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.