Minister van Velden receives phase 1 report, second phase to begin gathering evidence.
The Minister of Internal Affairs, Brooke van Velden, has received the report from the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19. This marks the conclusion of phase one and paves the way for the second phase, which will investigate outstanding matters, including vaccine mandates and safety.
Phase 2 Commissioners Grant Illingworth KC, Judy Kavanagh, and Anthony Hill have been appointed to lead the inquiry. The terms of reference were influenced by over 13,000 submissions from New Zealanders who participated in public consultation earlier this year. The second phase will begin gathering evidence on November 29, 2024.
The Minister has encouraged the public to share their views and experiences through email submissions (InquiryintoCOVID-19lessons@dia.govt.nz) starting tomorrow. The final report is due by February 26, 2026. The phase one report is now publicly available at the Royal Commission's website.