Royal Commission of Inquiry into New Zealand's Covid-19 response public hearing

A sign advertising a Covid-19 vaccination centre outside a pharmacy. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver

The Inquiry into the government's Covid-19 response has held a tense session on Thursday afternoon, as critics described what they called red-flags in the vaccine roll out and mandates.

It was the fourth day of the inquiry, with Friday rounding out the hearings in Auckland.

More hearings are expected to be held in Wellington next month.

On Thursday, commissioners scrutinised evidence put forward by groups like Voices for Freedom and The Health Forum.

Chair Grant Illingworth KC questioned Voices for Freedom founders Alia Bland and Claire Deeks, alongside legal manager Katie Ashby-Koppens, on how they thought the government acted in their response.

"Do you accept that government had a responsibility, in the circumstances that were being reported from overseas, to protect the public of New Zealand?" Illingworth asked.

"We have admitted that, I mean, we've acknowledged that," Ashby-Koppens said.

"It's not a question of what you've said before," replied Illingworth.

"We have acknowledged it but then we would come back to the principles of human rights law, and looking at proportionality, necessity, all of those things," Deeks said.

Alia Bland accused the government of making decisions during the pandemic that were politically motivated rather than based on medical advice.

"We would say that there is clear evidence that many of the decisions that they made were contrary to the advice they were being given."

Bland said they had proof of this through Official Information Act requests (OIAs) and internal memos.

Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver

Illingworth pressed the trio about the number of deaths related to the virus.

"You seem to be avoiding the question of whether there were in fact many thousands of people who died from Covid in that early period," he said.

"Now, I'm putting it to you as straight forward as I can, do you dispute that?"

"No doubt there were, as there are every year with flus and things like that, and yes, it might have been a particularly bad instance of that..." Bland said.

Data from the World Health Organisation shows there had been more than 7 million Covid-19 deaths reported as of 22 June this year.

The Inquiry chair told the group he was keeping an open mind.

"Although I have perhaps tested you a little on some issues, that doesn't mean that we have made up our minds about anything as yet," Illingworth said.

"We're keeping an open mind and we're looking very carefully at the points that you have made."

Later in the day, FACT Aotearoa, a group combating misinformation, spoke about the impact incorrect information had during the pandemic.

FACT member Jacinta O'Reilly said it was important to understand how false information spread.

"There's lots of stuff about how advertising works to change people's minds," she said.

"And if people realise how that is being used by some of these less reliable organisations, it inoculates them from against being sucked into a funnel of disinformation."

The Inquiry will continue on Friday.

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