Ardern to give evidence to Covid inquiry
Former Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern will provide evidence to the Royal Commission investigating New Zealand's Covid-19 response.
The inquiry is looking into the how the government dealt with the pandemic, which began in 2020, and its effects.
This week's hearings have concentrated on the impact of the extended lockdown in Auckland and Northland in 2021 and on vaccine mandates and safety.
RNZ previously reported that the commission had requested Ardern to give evidence at a public hearing next month.
But the commission said no decisions had been made about who would appear.
"The witness list is still under consideration, and it is not appropriate to make further comment about it at this stage," they said in a written statement.
"The Inquiry will share the witness list and more information about the planned August public hearing in due course."
A spokesperson for Ardern said she would provide evidence to assist the commission meet its terms of reference and are in discussions about the best way for that to happen.
She provided testimony to the first phase of the Inquiry, the spokesperson said.
"She is also happy for the commission to access her previous testimony."
The first phase was conducted behind closed doors with conclusions and recommendations made public afterwards.
On Tuesday, Dr Antje Deckert told the inquiry that 63,000 lockdown breaches were reported to police by citizens during levels 4, 3 and 2.
Police road stops were also counterproductive because officers were often unclear on how to enforce lockdown rules, she said.
Deckert said people found it difficult balancing government messaging of being kind while also enforcing lockdown rules.
Representatives from the disabled community have revealed they were often a target of abuse during lockdowns.
A Pasifika health expert said the Pacific population was over-represented in all aspects of the pandemic.
Auckland Council disability advisory group co-chair Barry De Geest said because disabled people were often exempt from wearing a mask or getting a vaccine, it led to cases of discrimination.
"The number of people we had crying because they'd been uptown or done something and they were being abused by people saying, you know, 'put your mask on', ... 'think of us' ... there was so much of that."
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"The commissioners expect that individuals will be prepared to attend interviews with them and or officers of the inquiry on a voluntary basis," the minute stated, regarding interviews with decision makers. "The interviews may be conducted online or in person, recorded and may be transcribed for the public record." In the end opinions about a point that was mostly moot overshadowed the coverage of what the commissioners were actually told in five days of public, livestreamed hearings. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
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