Latest news with #COVID-19LessonsLearned
Scoop
04-07-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Pandemic Perspectives Focus Of COVID-19 Inquiry Public Hearing Next Week
The Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons Learned will next week hear a range of perspectives on the pandemic as the Inquiry's first public hearing begins. The Inquiry's 'Pandemic Perspectives' public hearing will take place between Monday 7 July and Friday 11 July. This hearing will allow Commissioners to hear from groups, organisations, and individuals from around Aotearoa New Zealand about their experiences of the pandemic and the Government's response to COVID-19. 'The Pandemic Perspectives public hearing will allow us, in the open, to hear a range of experiences as well as suggestions for future pandemic responses. It is important we listen to these voices and ask key questions, so we can develop robust findings and recommendations,' says Grant Illingworth KC, Chair of the Inquiry. Individuals, organisations and experts will talk about the effects of key public health decisions, including social division and isolation, health and education, and business activity. Commissioners are focusing the hearing on three key areas of the Inquiry's terms of reference and that have been key themes raised in public submissions already received by the Inquiry: · Lockdowns in 2021, in particular the extended lockdown in Auckland and Northland from September 2021. · Vaccine approvals and safety. · Introduction and use of vaccine mandates throughout 2021 and 2022. The hearing schedule and list of witnesses is available on the Inquiry's website: A second and final public hearing will take place from 20 August to 27 August in Pōneke Wellington, where Commissioners will hear from key decision makers who led the Government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and from senior public servants. 'As Commissioners, our job is to identify lessons from the country's COVID-19 response to ensure that as a nation, we can be better prepared for future pandemics,' says Mr Illingworth. 'Our goal is to provide recommendations – that can be understood by all New Zealanders – to help build a strong response for the future. 'We need a well-organised, resilient, robust defence, and we need to be able to come together as a country to face future pandemics.' Alongside the public hearings, the Inquiry has also held interviews with key decision makers, met with individuals and organisations who experienced the pandemic and the response to it, gathered 31,000 public submissions, and sought extensive written evidence from Government departments and other organisations. 'We are encouraged by and thank the 31,000 of you who shared your experiences through our recent public submissions process. I also thank the huge number of people and organisations we've met in engagements up and down the country. Your experiences and perspectives are vital to our work,' says Mr Illingworth. The 'Pandemic Perspectives' public hearing will be streamed on the Inquiry's website so it can be watched live by the public. Registered media will be able to attend the hearing for reporting purposes. A range of accessible resources will also be available during and after the hearings. Due to physical limitations, the Inquiry cannot accommodate members of the public.
Scoop
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Outdoors & Freedom Party Highlights Media Silence On Royal Commission Submissions
Press Release – NZ Outdoors and Freedom Party The Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons Learned Te Tira Ārai Urutā, has had a remarkable level of public engagement in its Phase Two, with 31,000 submissions received by the Sunday, April 27th deadline. Despite the massive public interest and the importance of learning from the Covid response the inquiry has been largely overlooked by major TV networks and most of the New Zealand media. Phase One of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons Learned | Te Tira Ārai Urutā received over 13,000 submissions despite excluding important questions such as vaccine safety and efficacy. This almost tripling of submissions for Phase 2 highlights the public interest in areas the government would prefer to have ignored. The one media report that has covered this was RNZ Morning report, where reporter Corin Dann questioned the Royal Commission Chair when questioned over issues like Vaccine Safety said. 'Just Like any court hearing we have to look at both sides of the story.' The 2025 'Trust in News in Aotearoa New Zealand' report from the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) Centre for Journalism, Media and Democracy (JMAD) shows a marginal decrease in overall trust in news, from 33% in 2024 to 32% in 2025. While still low, this suggests a slowing down of the sharp decline observed in previous years. 'It's not surprising that the public has lost trust in news media news' says Aly Cook, Publicist board member and media spokesperson for NZ Outdoors and Freedom Party 'if mainstream media fail to cover such important news as this public inquiry with unprecedented level of public engagement, the public will look elsewhere for news.' 'The 31,000 submissions to Phase Two of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons Learned | Te Tira Ārai Urutā, is potentially the largest ever for such an inquiry in New Zealand. It's inexplicable that it has not been headline news.' Said Sue Grey Leader, of the NZ Outdoors Party and a specialist in complex emerging issues who has law science and public health qualifications . Aly Cook, mother of a formally diagnosed & ACC accepted vaccine-injured son , previously saw her petition to Parliament, which called for a Royal Commission into COVID-19 vaccine safety and efficacy (a topic excluded from the first inquiry), garner significant public support with 23,098 signatures that petition also experienced apparent media silence. Adding to the concern over the lack of media coverage of significant public engagement with the Royal Commission, there's also been a similar lack of reporting on the level of vaccine injury and deaths recognised by ACC. ACC's latest proactive release, as of January 2025, shows 5 ACC recognised deaths in New Zealand linked to the COVID-19 vaccine, alongside $12.6 million in ACC payouts to those who have experienced vaccine-related injuries. This significant data on acknowledged adverse events has also seemingly been underreported by major news outlets. The New Zealand Outdoors and Freedom Party believes that in 2025, four years after the pandemic's onset, it's crucial for the media to present balanced perspectives, as Grant Illingworth said in his interview 'Just Like any court hearing we have to look at both sides of the story.' This balanced approach is essential for the media to regain public trust and support, especially considering the perceived lack of coverage surrounding significant public engagement with the Royal Commission of Inquiry and ACC data on vaccine injuries and deaths.
Scoop
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Outdoors & Freedom Party Highlights Media Silence On Royal Commission Submissions
Press Release – NZ Outdoors and Freedom Party Phase One of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons Learned | Te Tira rai Urut received over 13,000 submissions despite excluding important questions such as vaccine safety and efficacy. The Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons Learned Te Tira Ārai Urutā, has had a remarkable level of public engagement in its Phase Two, with 31,000 submissions received by the Sunday, April 27th deadline. Despite the massive public interest and the importance of learning from the Covid response the inquiry has been largely overlooked by major TV networks and most of the New Zealand media. Phase One of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons Learned | Te Tira Ārai Urutā received over 13,000 submissions despite excluding important questions such as vaccine safety and efficacy. This almost tripling of submissions for Phase 2 highlights the public interest in areas the government would prefer to have ignored. The one media report that has covered this was RNZ Morning report, where reporter Corin Dann questioned the Royal Commission Chair when questioned over issues like Vaccine Safety said. 'Just Like any court hearing we have to look at both sides of the story.' The 2025 'Trust in News in Aotearoa New Zealand' report from the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) Centre for Journalism, Media and Democracy (JMAD) shows a marginal decrease in overall trust in news, from 33% in 2024 to 32% in 2025. While still low, this suggests a slowing down of the sharp decline observed in previous years. 'It's not surprising that the public has lost trust in news media news' says Aly Cook, Publicist board member and media spokesperson for NZ Outdoors and Freedom Party 'if mainstream media fail to cover such important news as this public inquiry with unprecedented level of public engagement, the public will look elsewhere for news.' 'The 31,000 submissions to Phase Two of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons Learned | Te Tira Ārai Urutā, is potentially the largest ever for such an inquiry in New Zealand. It's inexplicable that it has not been headline news.' Said Sue Grey Leader, of the NZ Outdoors Party and a specialist in complex emerging issues who has law science and public health qualifications . Aly Cook, mother of a formally diagnosed & ACC accepted vaccine-injured son , previously saw her petition to Parliament, which called for a Royal Commission into COVID-19 vaccine safety and efficacy (a topic excluded from the first inquiry), garner significant public support with 23,098 signatures that petition also experienced apparent media silence. Adding to the concern over the lack of media coverage of significant public engagement with the Royal Commission, there's also been a similar lack of reporting on the level of vaccine injury and deaths recognised by ACC. ACC's latest proactive release, as of January 2025, shows 5 ACC recognised deaths in New Zealand linked to the COVID-19 vaccine, alongside $12.6 million in ACC payouts to those who have experienced vaccine-related injuries. This significant data on acknowledged adverse events has also seemingly been underreported by major news outlets. The New Zealand Outdoors and Freedom Party believes that in 2025, four years after the pandemic's onset, it's crucial for the media to present balanced perspectives, as Grant Illingworth said in his interview 'Just Like any court hearing we have to look at both sides of the story.' This balanced approach is essential for the media to regain public trust and support, especially considering the perceived lack of coverage surrounding significant public engagement with the Royal Commission of Inquiry and ACC data on vaccine injuries and deaths.
Scoop
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Outdoors & Freedom Party Highlights Media Silence On Royal Commission Submissions
The Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons Learned Te Tira Ārai Urutā, has had a remarkable level of public engagement in its Phase Two, with 31,000 submissions received by the Sunday, April 27th deadline. Despite the massive public interest and the importance of learning from the Covid response the inquiry has been largely overlooked by major TV networks and most of the New Zealand media. Phase One of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons Learned | Te Tira Ārai Urutā received over 13,000 submissions despite excluding important questions such as vaccine safety and efficacy. This almost tripling of submissions for Phase 2 highlights the public interest in areas the government would prefer to have ignored. The one media report that has covered this was RNZ Morning report, where reporter Corin Dann questioned the Royal Commission Chair when questioned over issues like Vaccine Safety said. "Just Like any court hearing we have to look at both sides of the story." The 2025 "Trust in News in Aotearoa New Zealand" report from the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) Centre for Journalism, Media and Democracy (JMAD) shows a marginal decrease in overall trust in news, from 33% in 2024 to 32% in 2025. While still low, this suggests a slowing down of the sharp decline observed in previous years. "It's not surprising that the public has lost trust in news media news" says Aly Cook, Publicist board member and media spokesperson for NZ Outdoors and Freedom Party"if mainstream media fail to cover such important news as this public inquiry with unprecedented level of public engagement, the public will look elsewhere for news.' 'The 31,000 submissions to Phase Two of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons Learned | Te Tira Ārai Urutā, is potentially the largest ever for such an inquiry in New Zealand. It's inexplicable that it has not been headline news." Said Sue Grey Leader, of the NZ Outdoors Party and a specialist in complex emerging issues who has law science and public health qualifications . Aly Cook, mother of a formally diagnosed & ACC accepted vaccine-injured son , previously saw her petition to Parliament, which called for a Royal Commission into COVID-19 vaccine safety and efficacy (a topic excluded from the first inquiry), garner significant public support with 23,098 signatures that petition also experienced apparent media silence. Adding to the concern over the lack of media coverage of significant public engagement with the Royal Commission, there's also been a similar lack of reporting on the level of vaccine injury and deaths recognised by ACC. ACC's latest proactive release, as of January 2025, shows 5 ACC recognised deaths in New Zealand linked to the COVID-19 vaccine, alongside $12.6 million in ACC payouts to those who have experienced vaccine-related injuries. This significant data on acknowledged adverse events has also seemingly been underreported by major news outlets. The New Zealand Outdoors and Freedom Party believes that in 2025, four years after the pandemic's onset, it's crucial for the media to present balanced perspectives, as Grant Illingworth said in his interview 'Just Like any court hearing we have to look at both sides of the story." This balanced approach is essential for the media to regain public trust and support, especially considering the perceived lack of coverage surrounding significant public engagement with the Royal Commission of Inquiry and ACC data on vaccine injuries and deaths.
Scoop
28-04-2025
- Health
- Scoop
COVID-19 Inquiry Receives More Than 31,000 Submissions
Press Release – Royal Commission Covid-19 Lessons Learned Phase Two of Te Tira Ārai Urutā – the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons Learned has received more than 31,000 submissions from community groups, businesses, organisations and the wider public. 'My fellow Commissioners and I sincerely thank everyone who shared their COVID-19 experience with the Inquiry. We are grateful to those who took the time to make a submission, especially on topics that still bring difficult memories for many people,' says Grant Illingworth KC, Chair of the COVID-19 Inquiry. Phase Two of the COVID-19 Inquiry began on 29 November 2025. The public submissions portal closed on Sunday 27 April 2025. The COVID-19 Inquiry received submissions from every region in Aotearoa New Zealand, from Te Tai Tokerau Northland to Murihiku Southland. The region with the highest number of submissions was Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, with just under 7,500 submissions. The Inquiry also saw large numbers of submissions coming from Te Tai Tokerau Northland and Whakatū Nelson. 'It's clear that the pandemic is still top of mind for many people in Aotearoa New Zealand, particularly those areas like Auckland and Northland that were affected by longer lockdowns during the COVID-19 response,' says Mr Illingworth. The Inquiry also heard from a range of ethnic groups and communities (NZ European, Māori, Pasifika, Asian communities, and those from the Middle East and Latin America), as well as a range of age groups (from under 18 to over 85). Nearly 25% of submissions came from those aged 55-64. The Inquiry heard from a wide range of people, with the majority of submissions coming from women (almost 60%). Phase Two of the COVID-19 Inquiry is tasked with looking at the key decisions made by the New Zealand Government during 2021 and 2022 on vaccine mandates, safety, and approvals, the use of lockdowns, and testing, tracing, and non-pharmaceutical public health materials (like masks). Some of these topics, like vaccine safety, were not included in Phase One of the Inquiry, while others build on the work of Phase One – like lockdowns and mandates. The overall purpose of the COVID-19 Inquiry is to review Aotearoa New Zealand's response to the COVID-19 pandemic to help prepare for future pandemics. 'We have heard from New Zealanders on all topics that are a focus for Phase Two,' says Mr Illingworth. 'We are seeing that vaccine mandates and vaccine safety are a priority for most submitters, followed by the use of lockdowns.' The sentiment of submissions ranges widely, from those who are critical of the New Zealand Government's response as a whole, to those who are positive about the overall response, as well as many who hold mixed views about the response. As well as considering the submissions received during Phase Two, the Inquiry will also be considering any non-confidential submissions from Phase One that cover topics being assessed in Phase Two, as well as information provided during the consultation on the Inquiry's terms of reference in early 2024. 'The COVID-19 Inquiry is focused on addressing the questions the public wants answered about the pandemic, and making sure the concerns and experiences of everyone who experienced Aotearoa's pandemic response are heard,' says Mr Illingworth. The Inquiry will continue seeking evidence through meetings with key decision-makers and advisers, engagements with impacted communities, and public hearings to be held later in 2025.
