Royal Commission Part Two Answers Real Questions

ACT Leader David Seymour says the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry delivers the balanced account Labour tried to cover up.

“At the height of their arrogance, Labour commissioned an inquiry into their own performance, on their own terms. Just like their response to COVID, the original terms of reference ignored the impacts of their COVID response on every other aspect of life," says Mr Seymour.

“Most, if not all of ACT’s COVID-era critiques are borne out in the report. The COVID response doubled Government debt, locked us down too long, divided the country, broke the law, failed to use technology, and went overboard with vaccine mandates.

“In 2020, New Zealanders accepted extraordinary restrictions in the face of genuine uncertainty. They trusted the Government and made enormous sacrifices. Instead, Labour took a necessary emergency response and turned it into a political project built on control, spending, and overreach.

“Labour got carried away. They got carried away with spending, they got carried away with locking down, and they got carried away with not following advice. The report is a warning for all future governments of how destructive a government can be when it loses sight of what matters most to citizens.

“Kiwis paid the price in high inflation, weakened social cohesion, lost education opportunities, and in some tragic cases with their lives.

“This new report goes beyond the narrow, self-protective inquiry Labour originally wanted. That was never good enough and ACT pushed for broader scrutiny, this report vindicates those concerns. New Zealanders deserved an honest assessment of not just whether the Government’s response was effective, but whether it was proportionate and cost-effective.

“This report shows it wasn’t just ACT warning the Government that Auckland was locked down too long, or that wasteful spending was out of control, or that vaccine mandates were unnecessary. Officials had the same concerns and were ignored by Labour as well.

“Treasury said from the start that COVID spending should be timely, temporary, and targeted. Instead, Labour set up a $60 billion fund spread across 821 programmes, with around half unrelated to the pandemic.

“That spending drove inflation, pushed up house prices, and left New Zealand more exposed to future shocks. Families are still living with the consequences.

“This report shows why we can’t trust this Labour Party to lead the country. The same ministers who ignored advice and made disastrous decisions are now asking for votes amid an economy that is only just starting to recover from their decisions.

“Kiwis were constantly told the Government was following the science. But this report shows ministers were willing to go beyond advice whenever it suited them. Whether it was enforcing further lockdowns or maintaining a two-dose vaccine mandate for 12 to 17-year-olds despite advice against it because of myocarditis risks.

“We owe it to the people who missed funerals, births, weddings, school, work, medical care, and time with loved ones to tell the truth about that now.

“Most importantly we owe it to them to learn from this report and never make the same mistakes again. New Zealand must never again have a government that gets carried away with people’s freedoms, their money, and their lives.”