Royal Commission Cancels Public Hearings for Decision-Makers, “No Longer Justified”
The Royal Commission has announced it will no longer proceed with public hearings for key decision-makers after former Ministers declined to participate. While NZDSOS doctors faced rigorous public questioning last month, officials who implemented the covid-19 response will avoid the same scrutiny through private interviews behind closed doors.
In a procedural minute published today, Inquiry Chair Grant Illingworth KC stated it is “no longer justified” to proceed with the planned hearings. Former Ministers including Jacinda Ardern, Chris Hipkins, and Ashley Bloomfield declined invitations to participate, and the Commission has decided against compelling their attendance through summons.
The contrast with how NZDSOS doctors were treated is stark. Our members endured hours of rigorous public questioning on live television, with commissioners challenging every claim and demanding detailed justification for our positions. Meanwhile, those who designed and implemented mandates, lockdowns, and vaccine policies will provide their evidence away from public view.
This decision undermines the very transparency the inquiry was meant to provide. New Zealanders deserved to see their former leaders questioned about decisions that fundamentally altered their lives, separated families, and destroyed livelihoods. Instead, the most powerful decision-makers escape the accountability that independent doctors faced.
The Commission claims former Ministers have provided “significant information via private interviews” and remain cooperative. But private cooperation is not public accountability. The public has a right to see and hear directly from those who wielded unprecedented power during the pandemic response.
We will continue documenting all testimony and evidence through our Covid Inquiry Evidence Hub, ensuring the public record reflects the full range of perspectives presented to the Commission – including those voices the establishment would prefer to silence.
