Hon Brooke van Velden
Minister of Internal Affairs

Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says the Government has finalised the detailed terms of reference for Phase 2 of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons.

“These terms of reference reflect the decision taken by the Government in June to establish Phase 2 of the Royal Commission. Both the ACT-National and New Zealand First-National coalition agreements include commitments to expanding the inquiry to cover outstanding matters of public concern,” says Ms van Velden.

“Phase 2 of the Inquiry will review key decisions taken by the Government in 2021 and 2022 related to the use of vaccines and the use of lockdowns, in particular the extended lockdowns in Auckland and Northland. The Inquiry will assess whether key decisions struck a reasonable balance between public health goals and social and economic disruption -such as health and education outcomes.”

“Phase 2 of the Inquiry will also assess the impact of decisions taken on inflation, debt, and business activity. Public hearings may be used where appropriate.”

“I am pleased to announce that Grant Illingworth KC has been appointed as the Chair of Phase 2 of the Inquiry. Mr Illingworth joined the Inquiry in July to support the final stages of Phase 1 and will assist the Inquiry in transitioning to Phase 2.”

“I am also pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will be joined by Judy Kavanagh and Anthony Hill, who have been appointed as Commissioners for Phase 2. Their experience in economics and public health respectively will benefit the Inquiry in achieving its purpose.”

The Commissioners for Phase 1, Professor Tony Blakely and John Whitehead, will resign from their roles following the conclusion of Phase 1 on 28 November 2024.

“The detailed terms of reference for Phase 2 of the Inquiry will address outstanding matters of public concern. I am looking forward to the future of the Inquiry and seeing the findings and recommendations made public at the end of Phase 2 in early 2026,” says Ms van Velden.

Notes:

• The Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons Learned was established in December 2022 with a focus on identifying lessons that can be learned from the COVID-19 experience to strengthen New Zealand’s overall pandemic preparedness.
• The Government has provided the Royal Commission with $14.038 million in funding to conduct phase 2. This funding was set aside in Budget 2024 as the Inquiry into COVID-19 Pandemic tagged operating contingency.
• In January the Government agreed to conduct public consultation on expanding the terms of reference for the Royal Commission. During February and March the Royal Commission received more than 13,000 submissions from the public and these have been considered in the scope of the second phase in inquiry.

Bios:

Grant Illingworth KC (Chair)

Mr Illingworth is a litigation specialist, and he has conducted his own practice since 1975. During this time, he has conducted a wide range of civil, criminal, and immigration cases, and tribunal proceedings. Mr Illingworth has appeared as counsel at every level of the New Zealand legal system, including in the Court of Appeal, Privy Council, and the Supreme Court.

His area of expertise is in public law, including constitutional law, administrative law, and judicial review. He has experience in tribunal proceedings, particularly disciplinary proceedings for medical, legal, and accountancy professions. Mr Illingworth has acted as counsel in proceedings involving two constitutional crises in Fiji.

Judy Kavanagh (Commissioner)

Ms Kavanagh is a public policy professional with experience and expertise in evaluating evidence and in making evidence-based policy recommendations to Government. She has held Director of Inquiries roles including at the Infrastructure Commission and ten years at the Productivity Commission. She has a background in economics with a particular interest in urban economics, infrastructure pricing and policy. Ms Kavanagh worked as a lecturer in Economics for fifteen years and produced research on regulatory systems.

Anthony Hill (Commissioner)

Mr Hill is a practicing barrister, and has a background in health and disability sectors, having held senior positions at the Ministry of Health for 15 years. Mr Hill served as the Health and Disability Commissioner for 10 years, after six years as a Deputy Director-General of Health. This involved oversight of the funding and performance of the District Health Boards, and a range of health crown entities. He also served as the Ministry of Health’s chief legal counsel and was a solicitor with the Ministry of Commerce.

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