The Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 has delivered a critique of former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s leadership and the Labour government’s handling of the pandemic, highlighting key failures that caused lasting harm to New Zealanders.
The report, released today, found that vaccine mandates, championed by Ardern and her administration, were applied too broadly and stayed in place for too long, despite a waning public health justification with the arrival of the Omicron variant.
From early 2022, “the public health case for requiring [vaccination] was weak,” the report stated. “In our view, some workplace, occupational, and other vaccine requirements were applied too broadly and remained in place for too long, which caused harm to individuals and families and contributed to loss of social capital.” This overreach, the inquiry concluded, eroded public trust in the government, fuelled social division, and even reduced uptake of other vaccines, undermining future public health efforts.
The inquiry was particularly scathing about the long-term consequences of these policies, which contributed to “the most significant civil unrest in Aotearoa New Zealand for some time,” referring to the 2022 occupation of Parliament grounds. The protest, which culminated in a violent attack on protesters by police, was described as a visible manifestation of the pandemic’s deep social and economic scars.
Ardern’s internationally maligned “single source of truth” comment also came under fire, with the inquiry noting it “contributed to a sense of mistrust” and was frequently cited by submitters as emblematic of the government’s top-down, totalitarian approach. While intended to combat “misinformation”, the phrase became a rallying cry for critics and undermined social cohesion.
The Labour government’s handling of lockdowns, particularly the prolonged restrictions in Auckland in late 2021, was another area of criticism. The inquiry found the decision to extend lockdowns disproportionately affected marginalised groups, including Māori and Pasifika communities, and exacted severe economic and mental health tolls. The government’s rationale for these decisions, ostensibly to improve vaccination rates among vulnerable groups, failed to consider other critical factors, such as waning immunity and international examples of earlier reopening with lower vaccination rates.
While the inquiry acknowledged initial lockdowns and border controls were effective in the early stages of the pandemic, it noted that poor preparation left decision-makers with limited options. “If New Zealand had better preparation and investment, it would have been less reliant on using lockdowns to eliminate Covid-19,” the report concluded, pointing to a lack of foresight in improving contact tracing and mask compliance.
The Labour government’s failure to engage directly with protesters, as recommended by the Chief Human Rights Commissioner, was also identified as a disastrous measure that further exacerbated public discontent.
So heads will roll then?
Worldwide, including NZ, none, not one, of those responsible for the shambles has been brought to justice or even reprimanded. No, they got away with it, and continue on to greater honours. Ardern for one. They should be in jail, but get damehoods, knighthoods etc instead. Pricks
Single source of LIES. You’re not welcome in this country Jacinda. Don’t EVER come back. You wrecked and divided us, committed economic sabotage, lined your pockets and then you laughed about it.
Glad you don’t believe in God because there is a special place in hell for people like you and your colleagues, minions and useful idiots Jacinda.
😡😡😡
Is that it? What about the effects of the covid vaccine, the deaths caused from it?
Oddly enough vaccine harms were not included in the inquiry’s terms of reference.
I can’t think why. Just an inadvertent oversight I guess.
Trying to incessantly play down the criminality and complete disrespect for peoples human and democratic rights. Best thing that could happen is a clean sweep, with the low life globalists never allowed to take office in this country again, a complete reform of the so called police and the judiciary, an entrenched constitution and the dissolution of any kind of military in New Zealand.
These people have the memory of a goldfish. Let me remind these simpletons, while slightly longer Auckland was not the only major centre to have their own special lockdown.
The jab didn’t work against the Delta strain either you liars. Israel and the UK proved that. And that was before shots were rolled out here. Thats probably why Ashley and Chris James didn’t approve the shots. Ivermectin and other drugs did though. India proved that. After much hand wringing about India suffering from the Indian strain mid 2020,they got it under control, and it became the Delta strain so as not cause offense.
Wait a few years after the shock and awe, then gaslight the country is it?
“The Labour government’s failure to engage directly with protesters, as recommended by the Chief Human Rights Commissioner, was also identified as a disastrous measure that further exacerbated public discontent.”
Also the Police acting as jackboot thugs. F all of you police until an apology for that disgusting display instead of upholding our Rights.
It was Ardern who gave the order to attack and assault the peaceful protesters. To smash them in the face with batons. To destroy their belongings. To set fire to them and burn them out!
Many had children there. We have a name for that type of woman. That name is Bitch.
To our generation, the police have lost all credibility. I have made it very clear to my children. Never to forget what Arden did to this nation of well-meaning citizens whose only intention was to bring their concerns to the government.
Arden deserves no respect from anyone. Do not allow her into your place of business. If you see her in the streets, never let her forget what she did.
Remember National endorsed her actions,only criticizing her for not being fascist enough,They are all bastards.Never forgive them and all the self-righteous prats in the media and elsewhere that championed it
Yes indeed, heinous crimes against humanity committed by power-crazed midwit government officials does indeed tend to “erode trust”.