RCI Webinar – The Importance of Adding Your Phase 2 Covid Inquiry Statement

Make your RCI Submission here: https://nzdsos.com/actions/rci-phase-2/

Presenters: Dr Matt Shelton & Communications Expert Anna McLoughlin
Date: 8 April 2025, 7pm
Duration: 60 minutes

NZDSOS hosted a practical workshop designed to help participants turn their 2021 covid response experiences into compelling Covid Inquiry statements. Dr Matt Shelton and Anna McLoughlin guided attendees through the entire process, from drafting and structuring their stories to submitting them effectively. The session emphasised how to align personal experiences with the Commission’s terms of reference, ensuring maximum impact. Participants also learnt how to register their statements with NZDSOS to track the collective impact of submissions.

Attendees were encouraged to share their experiences, whether related to lockdowns, vaccine impacts, or mandates, and to ensure their voices were part of the official record before the 27 April deadline. Resources, templates, and detailed submission guidance were made available on the NZDSOS website. For those preferring verbal submissions, the option to call 0800 503 306 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm) was highlighted.

This workshop was a call to action for everyone to contribute to a collective body of evidence that cannot be ignored.

We also discussed the Stop the WHO Campaign (https://www.whoknows.co.nz/), which aims to collect 400,000 physical signatures by November to push for New Zealand’s withdrawal from the World Health Organization. This campaign highlights the importance of maintaining sovereignty over health decisions and encourages everyone to get involved by downloading the petition form, collecting signatures, and submitting them.

Additionally, we covered the Health Regulator Consultation (https://consult.health.govt.nz/regulatory-policy/putting-patients-first/), which seeks public feedback on proposed changes to health workforce regulations. These changes could significantly impact the independence of health professionals and the future of medical freedom. Submissions are open until 30 April, and everyone is encouraged to have their say.