Herald NOW Weather: July 9th 2025
Grant Illingworth KC spoke to Herald NOW's Ryan Bridge about the second phase of the Covid-19 inquiry.
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Otago Daily Times
5 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Deputy PM ‘in awe' of work done at city tech firm
Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour has praised a Dunedin robotics company as being "at the forefront of world technology". The Act New Zealand leader — who is also acting prime minister this week — was in Dunedin yesterday and visited local businesses including the Otago Childcare Centre, Progressive Plastics and Scott Technology. Speaking to the media after touring the automation and robotics solutions provider's factory, Mr Seymour said he was "in awe" of what the people at Scott Technology were doing. "They have robotic knives that can strip a sheep's carcass in six seconds, and to think that is happening here in Dunedin ... what they are doing is absolutely at the forefront of world technology." Mr Seymour, who has a degree in electrical engineering, said the company's digital signal processing involved some of the hardest mathematics you could do. The integration of abstract mathematical modelling and robotic programming showed "incredible teamwork". "To have, at one level, your nerds, if you like, and at another level your tradies working together to create one project ... I think that's very, very cool." Comments he had heard during his visit included on the speed at which parts had been able to be ordered and delivered before the Covid-19 pandemic. Global supply chains had been stretched and interrupted by the pandemic as well as global trade uncertainty, and New Zealand needed more capital equipment, capacity and money being laid down, he said. Anything that allowed businesses to do that more easily was very important, he said. Both Scott Technology and Progressive Plastics benefited "substantially" from foreign direct investment — something he believed the country needed to welcome more of. Watching a demonstration of Scott Technology's BladeStop safety bandsaw on the factory floor are (from left) Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour, general manager Andrew Arnold, service technician James Still and chief executive Mike Christman. Photo: Peter McIntosh The Reserve Bank of New Zealand announced yesterday the official cash rate (OCR) would remain at 3.25%, marking a pause in a series of six consecutive cuts since August last year. In a statement, the Reserve Bank said annual consumers' price inflation would likely increase towards the top of the 1% to 3% target band over mid-2025. But due to spare productive capacity in the economy and declining domestic inflation pressures headline inflation was expected to remain within this band and return to around 2% by early next year. The economic outlook remained "highly uncertain", and further data including on the impacts of tariffs would influence the future path of the OCR, the statement said. Mr Seymour said concerns about headline inflation were being heard around the world. "You see the Australians, they cut hard, then they had a rebound, and then they started cutting again. "In New Zealand, we haven't had to do that. "Far better to be falling, pausing and hopefully falling again, than having to go back for a second look, as other countries have had to." When asked about the role uncertainty around United States tariffs may have played in the Reserve Bank's decision, Mr Seymour said he had "no doubt" the bank was looking at international factors. "I think anyone who's done even five minutes of economics will know that our trade as a trading nation is critical to the prices we see, and they'll be sensitive to that."
NZ Herald
13 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Covid-19 Royal Commission: Jacinda Ardern says she will provide evidence
Former Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern says she will provide evidence to the second stage of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Covid-19. In a brief statement, a spokesperson said Ardern will provide evidence to assist the commission 'in meeting its terms of reference'. 'We are in discussions about the
Newsroom
21 hours ago
- Newsroom
What the Covid-19 inquiry is teaching us
Comment: As the dust continues to settle from the peak pandemic years, New Zealand is taking a long, hard look in the mirror. The first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Covid-19 Lessons Learned has been delivered, and it offers an unflinching account of our preparedness, decisions, and blind spots. The second phase is underway, tasked with interrogating the specifics: vaccination equity, disinformation, and the long shadow Covid cast across our communities. The power – and price – of going early The inquiry acknowledges that our early, bold elimination strategy was effective at saving lives. Compared with many other nations, New Zealand avoided mass deaths and overwhelmed hospitals. But it came with real costs: social isolation, educational disruption, economic harm, and deep psychological strain, especially in communities already living with inequity. For some, the border closures and MIQ system became a symbol of safety; for others, of exclusion and despair. A pandemic plan built for the wrong pandemic New Zealand's pre-Covid pandemic plans were largely geared towards influenza. This wasn't a case of simply dusting off an out-of-date playbook. The virus we faced was a novel coronavirus – more contagious, less predictable, and politically destabilising. Critical systems, from intensive care unit capacity to personal protective equipment logistics, weren't scaled or connected in the way a 21st century pandemic demanded. We weren't alone in that, but being unprepared is not something we should now excuse as inevitable. Who was heard – and who wasn't Perhaps one of the most damning findings is how poorly the early response incorporated Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations. Māori and Pacific voices were sidelined in national decision-making. Community providers who had the trust, the reach, and the relationships to respond effectively were often bypassed or underused. The equity gap didn't start with Covid-19, but the pandemic made it wider and more visible. The communication conundrum Early in the pandemic, New Zealand's public health messaging was lauded globally for its clarity and empathy. But the commission noted that as time went on, messaging became increasingly centralised and inflexible. Tailored communications for diverse populations were often absent. At times when nuance and dialogue were needed, the approach defaulted to broadcast mode rather than engagement. What phase 2 must tackle The second phase of the inquiry, now underway, is where the real grit begins. It will scrutinise the rollout of vaccines, particularly whether equity was achieved or merely promised. It will delve into vaccine mandates and their effects on public trust. It will explore the long-term health, economic, and educational impacts of our Covid-19 response. It will ask hard questions about the use of emergency powers and the resilience (or fragility) of our health systems. Perhaps most importantly, it will examine how trust was won, lost, and exploited. The rise of misinformation and targeted disinformation isn't just a curious byproduct of the pandemic era – it's a feature of our new public health landscape. If we fail to address it, we're not just failing to learn – we're inviting history to repeat itself. Why it matters Do we really need another report? Haven't we moved on? But in science, as in governance, learning from mistakes isn't optional – it's essential. The very act of reflection is a declaration that we take public health seriously, that we value lives lost and saved, and that we are willing to face uncomfortable truths to be better prepared next time. Pandemics will come again. Whether sparked by zoonotic spillover, synthetic biology, or climate-driven vector shifts, the next crisis is not a matter of if but when. The Royal Commission won't give us all the answers – but it can make sure we ask better questions and build a more inclusive, agile, and evidence-based response. In the end, the value of this inquiry isn't just in what it reports, but in whether we listen.
