Fate of Covid-19 response inquiry falls to Act’s Brooke van Velden as commissioner resigns

One of Act deputy leader Brooke van Velden’s early ministerial tasks will be to fill a vacancy at the Royal Commission into the Covid-19 response after one of its three commissioners quit.

And who she appoints might inform how she broadens the commission’s terms of reference, which Act has previously criticised as too narrow.

Commissioner and former National Party minister Hekia Parata finished up earlier this month for “personal reasons”, and it falls on van Velden, as the new Internal Affairs Minister, to replace her.

Van Velden can also widen the terms of reference; the Inquiries Act says that the appointing minister “may amend the terms of reference by notice in the Gazette”.

She told the Herald in a statement: “I’m aware of Hekia Parata’s departure from the Covid-19 Inquiry. I will be seeking advice from officials and taking papers regarding the inquiry to Cabinet in due course. It is a matter that is being taken seriously.”

Act has previously said it was wrong for the Government to set the terms of reference, calling for six weeks of public submissions followed by a new set of terms based on those submissions.

Two months ago Act leader David Seymour said the Royal Commission should cover, among other things, how the response affected education, business and mental health, whether other policies would have been “more cost-effective” in improving the lives of New Zealanders, and whether it was “sensible” to restructure the health system in the middle of a pandemic.

Former Minister Hekia Parata has quit the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Covid response for personal reasons. Photo / Stephen Parker

The Act-National coalition agreement committed to “broaden the terms of reference of the Royal Commission into the Covid-19 response, subject to public consultation”.

It’s unclear whether this could be done in a way that also fulfills the specific commitment for an inquiry in the NZ First-National coalition agreement, or whether that would require a separate inquiry.

The NZ First-National coalition agreement commits to an “independent inquiry conducted publicly with local and international experts, into how the Covid pandemic was handled in New Zealand, including covering use of multiple lockdowns; vaccine procurement and efficacy; the social and economic impacts on both regional and national levels; whether the decisions made, and steps taken, where justified [sic].”

Several issues are currently outside the scope of the inquiry including vaccine efficacy, the health system reforms, the effect of the Reserve Bank’s decisions on economic inequality, and “particular clinical decisions made by clinicians or by public health authorities”.

Currently the aim of the Royal Commission is to learn the lessons from New Zealand’s response that could be applied in preparation for a future pandemic. Public consultation was meant to start this month, with a report delivered in September 2024.

A commission spokesperson said the commission was aware of the Covid inquiry references in the coalition agreements.

“We recognise the Government can seek to widen our Terms of Reference, and we welcome the opportunity to work with the new Government on this as required.”

All Covid restrictions have been lifted but the virus continues to impact the country, with the current surge in infections being the biggest this year.

The Act-National agreement and the NZ First-National agreement each have commitments to a Covid inquiry, though it's unclear whether this will mean two inquiries, or the widening of the current Royal Commission. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Parata told the Herald the election and political debate around the terms of reference for the Covid-19 inquiry had nothing to do with her resignation; she had advised the Government back in July that she intended to step down after about a year on the inquiry, once it was set up.

Commission chair and epidemiologist Professor Tony Blakely thanked Parata for her “outstanding” contribution, having completed all duties of the role.

Parata said she wanted to focus her time and attention on issues close to home, having worked on the Ministerial Inquiry into Land Use into the impacts of slash and sediment from Cyclones Hale and Gabrielle in Tairāwhiti and Wairoa.

She was now preparing a briefing on Tairāwhiti for the new government.

“I have been quietly advocating that Tairāwhiti is the climate change canary for our country. The Landcare scientists said we have about 10 years to take action or we could see the wholesale collapse of our hills, mountains and water catchments.

“Ngati Porou would be rendered landless. So I have been making it my business to advocate for our region.”

She said the region would be the first to fail because of climate change, and if action was taken it could become a template for other regions in climate adaptation measures, and how to keep industries such as forestry going at the same time.

Derek Cheng is a senior journalist who started at the Herald in 2004. He has worked several stints in the press gallery and is a former deputy political editor.