With public submissions closing at midnight on Sunday, ACT is encouraging Kiwis to share their experiences with the official inquiry into the COVID-19 response at www.covid19inquiry.nz.

“Kiwis could be forgiven wanting to forget about the toughest days of the pandemic. But it’s vital that our public institutions are held to account and scrutinised for the decisions they made,” says ACT Health spokesman Todd Stephenson.

“Multiple lockdowns, restrictions on travel, vaccine mandates, and unprecedented levels of government spending had, and still have, far-reaching consequences for families, businesses, livelihoods, and our individual freedoms.

“New Zealanders have told ACT they weren’t satisfied with the narrow terms of the Royal Commission’s inquiry – terms set by the same Government that made the big decisions. That’s why we secured a coalition commitment to broaden the inquiry’s terms of reference, allowing the public to share their views on what aspects of the COVID response merit greater investigation.

“We need a real variety of perspectives. For example, small business operators who ran the gauntlet of lockdowns, staffing shortages, and quick-fire regulatory changes will have valuable insights into how future pandemics could be managed in a less destructive way. I hope they’ll get on the record before the weekend’s up.”

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