A lost opportunity
The Royal Commission report into Covid was an opportunity for people's voices to be heard. Sadly, it has failed, preferencing power over humanity.
When people are hurt or feel an injustice has been done to them, one of the ways to assist the healing process is to ensure they have been heard and listened to. Importantly, they need to see and hear that they’ve been heard.
I recall one person coming into my electorate office early on in my parliamentary career with a rather complex and fraught situation, and as they spoke my mind was racing as to what I could do to solve the issue. As they finished and were about to leave, I frankly admitted that I did not know what could be done but that I would consider further. Their reply has always stayed with me – “Oh, I know there is nothing you can do, but I wanted to talk and be heard. And I was, thank you.”
Just over a week ago, the Royal Commission looking into New Zealand’s Covid response, published its second report. Reading through it, I was disappointed and quite frankly, bored. Not because the issues of Covid or how it was managed are boring, but the narrative lacked an acknowledgement of the many voices who wanted to be heard around their experiences.
The report also did not address some of the elephants in the room, notably the efficacy of the vaccine(s) and questions around vaccine injuries. To be fair, this choice goes back to the politicians in charge who set the terms of reference, not the commissioners.
Disappointingly, but not unpredictably, we’ve had some in politics and media saying we just have to move on from the Covid days. This is disingenuous and also suggests those writing and commenting are part of a ‘class’ that suffered little to no impact during those years and since.
There remains deep hurt within many New Zealanders due to the way Covid was managed. Whether around the mandates or vaccines; those unable to properly farewell loved ones who had died; those locked up in MIQ or who lost their livelihoods – the experience, the pain, the hurt, and sense of moral injury are very real. They do not want to move on and nor should they.
It is insulting to suggest they should, and more often than not, those who are saying that people should move on are usually the ones embarrassed by their own choices and actions during that period of time. For example, the people who stubbornly divided others according to vaccination status - insisting their children could not longer play with their best friends, or family members who refused to invite a brother or sister to a wedding. In situations such as this, there is deep and lingering hurt.
The Royal Commission’s report remains a lost opportunity to have allowed these voices of pain to be heard and seen. While the report provides a lengthy narrative around government decisions, it does not give sufficient voice to those still hurting. Had those in pain seen an acknowledgement of what they have been through, I think perhaps some may have been able to begin a process of reconciliation.
I should note, reconciling or healing does not mean accepting what happened. But acknowledgement of another’s experience goes a long way.
This said, there are a host of issues the Royal Commission did rightly highlight, yet sadly within the political and media realms, most have been buried, ignored, or had cold water poured over them. A Labour government that misspent over $30 billion on projects that had nothing to do with Covid; the decision to delay the use of rapid antigen tests (RATs); and the real clanger, Ministers (Hipkins and Verrall) who signed off on the double vaccination of young people despite the clearly outlined risks, something that should have New Zealanders outraged.
I think a key reason for this is the government of the day and the various bureaucrats, academics, media acolytes, and others were enjoying the power they possessed. It was a power trip.
I reflect on the mad last weeks of lockdowns in Auckland, with the bewildering array of rules and requirements. You could host another bubble on your property, but only outside, and they were not allowed to use your toilet inside. This example and many others were no longer an expression of health needs, but the exercise of power.
Those in control were enjoying – most likely subconsciously – having power over others. For those in favour of big government, the Covid days were a gift. Despite the advice not to double vaccinate young people, those in government decided it was in their power to allow it. When choice could have been given to be people between RAT tests and vaccinations, those with the power decided they preferred to be in control and not you.
It is clear the government preferenced a singular, monolithic, and unnuanced approach to managing Covid. They appreciated the power they had and to which they exercised. As we’ve seen since, many of the decisions have been struck down by the courts or explicitly challenged in public. The MIQ system was rightly criticised for having no subtly or flexibility. Mandates could have been reduced by allowing the use of RAT tests. Admitting that the vaccine had little impact on transmission would have allowed people to attend funerals and farewell loved ones and so on.
But no. What was sought was control and anyone who challenged the narrative was to be abused, discounted, and dismissed. The infamous ‘single source of truth’ was to be amplified and those providing an alternative view, sidelined and labelled fringe.
When those intent on seeking power and control succeed, then nuance, subtlety, exemption, and humanity fail.
I will end with something I said when in Parliament (video below) and addressing these very issues and which seems as pertinent today as it was then:
“I want to put this warning out, because history is very clear about this: you treat adults in a democracy responsibly. You allow them proportionally to take back their lives. Because I put this warning there now: if we don’t give it to them, they’ll take it back.
I want to end as I began: ‘when human societies lose their freedom, it’s not necessarily because tyrants have taken it away. It’s usually because people willingly surrender their freedom in return for protection against some external threat. That’s what I fear we are seeing now.’ Wake up, New Zealand.”
In Media
I’ve been interviewing people, and discussing, these very issues over recent days.
My and Bob’s first impressions, soon after the Royal Commission report was made public:
I sat down with Tanya Unkovich, a former NZ First MP and strong advocate around Covid accountability, to discuss her impression of the Royal Commission report:
And my own initial reflections on the day the report was released:
The 'veneer of civilization' is very thin!
With the 'opportunity' & the 'wrong circumstances' in play, we can see the worse side of 'human nature' or 'fallen nature' emerge!
Suddenly people have the opportunity to be tyrants, & merciless with it!
Of course this was a planned 'global event & action'! (I'm avoiding saying 'conspiracy' for obvious reasons - yet it was)
The lockstep approach, the universal 'propaganda & words' attached to Covid-19 clearly revealed that, bar a few exceptions!
This was an orchestrated attack on humanity, led by those who see themselves as 'masters of the universe'!
This of course is not new as we have witnessed all throughout history, man's 'hegemonic will', more recently with Nazism & Communism & now the more Trojan Horse style invasion with Cultural Marxism & Secular Humanism, in league with other ideological groups for convenience, until one or the other decides to bop off the other as so with all criminal entities!
Standing in their way is the Judeo-Christian Free world, which is being vilified at every opportunity with the normal 'hate language & rhetoric', to 'delegitimise & criminalise' our Judeo Christian culture & worldview!
They are the 'LEFT HAND' thieves railing at & mocking Jesus for their own godless existences, absorbed into the world of Mammon & self-centredness as so their father the devil! Jn 8:44
Christians must unite as Jesus prayed, Jn 17:20-23, & re-group, Ezek 37:7-10, to take back our nation founded by Queen Victoria, having a Christian worldview & vision for New Zealand!
She was implementing Mt 28:18-20!
Mt 28:18 "And Jesus came and said to them, “All 'authority in heaven and on EARTH' has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make 'DISCIPLES of all NATIONS', (colonise) baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to OBEY all that I have commanded you"!
How clear these words from Jesus are! Together with Mt 6:33, Mt 6:10, Mt 16:18-19 & Dan 7:27, Rev 5:10 => Is 9:6-7
We are charged with establishing & governing God's Kingdom! Lk 12:42-49, Dan 7:27
But we didn't know it!
Does God want 'godless secular humanist Marxist political parties' governing the nation He founded!
How does that make sense!
Read the 'Parable of the Talents', 'The Tenants', 'The Sower' & the 'Wedding Banquet' for clarity & correction, & Rev 3:1-3, 15-17!
Our task is to govern NZ centring on God's Word & the person of Christ!
Anything else as in 'pantheism or animism' for example is just an abomination, which we have allowed ourselves to participate in for too many years!
Whether by Commission or Omission! Silence is CONSENT!
God is 'Seeking His Kingdom FIRST', & so must WE! Mt 6:33
Mt 12:30 "He who is NOT 'with me' is 'against me', and he who does not gather with me scatters".
Are we 'gathering' the Kingdom of God, or doing something else! Mt 7:21-23, Lk 8:21
Christians have dumbed down Scripture, neglecting the 'weightier matters' of the Word! Mt 23:23
Remember, we are judged by whether we kept God's Word or not! Jn 12:47-48, Jn 14:21-24
Christians who want to DO the Will of God must come together, work together, & re-build this nation of New Zealand to meet God's expectations! Hag 1:12-15, 1 Peter 2:4-5, 9-10
95.8% of the NZ population of all ages were vaccinated at least once. It is almost certain they did so because they saw sense in the advice coming from health professionals, the government, paying attention to events overseas, and the experience of others who were vaccinated and/ or had mild doses of COVID. Advice from GPs and other fontline health professionals was probably especially important because of their professional knowledge and experience and because they chose their profession to look after people.
As well as keeping themselves protected from severe doses of the virus, all those were keeping their family and friends safe, and others around them. When they had doses they stayed home, as any sensible person with the flu would.
Over 13 million vaccinations were administered. There is no evidence that risks and effects of side effects were excessive and outweighed the benefits of vaccination. The COVID death rate for vaccinated people was lower than unvaccinated.
As a result NZ COVID death rate was 120th out of 220 countries. So 119 countries had higher death rates – most developed countries except Singapore and South Korea. As an examole of lives saved 2000 more people died in Ireland that is a similar population size. The equivalent of 8000 more people died in Sweden – the hero of anti vaccination until the policy was reversed when deaths became unacceptable high.
These are all facts that are why the inquiry report was positive about NZ’s efforts. But it all happened under a Labour Government. Families who vote Labour or Green are unwelcome in Family First. That is why Mr. O’Connor and Mr. McCloskrie ignored all the facts above. As Christians, with absolutely no medical background and clearly no regard for the lives of Kiwis they pretended to themselves that 5% of the population who were vaccinated were heroic and not listened to enough were the only people that mattered. That they seemed to have a high level of just pig headed anti authority attitudes, and no feeling of responsibility to help protect the lives of others doesn’t matter to these two.
So rather than the professionally knowledgeable people above, O’Connor and McCloskrie listened to social media and the likes of nutcases such as Matt King and others. They embraced the world’s of bleach and ivermectin as remedies, that people are dropping like flies with vaccine injuries and death, and that lockdowns were devadting for families forced to spend time together (NZ COVID death rate 2020 – 2023 during lockdown time was the lowest of 180 countries).
Christian O’Connor was bored because it told the truth – the party he doesn’t want First members from managed COVID well. As a Christian he was disappointed because it saved people rather than providing more souls for Christ. Its role was to look at how best to prepare for such event. He’s disappointed because it didn’t listen sufficiently to people who ignored medical advice and died at a higher rate.
There remains deep hurt in many New Zealanders. What a stupid thing to say
The deepest hurt is in the family and friends of the extra 2000 people in Ireland, 8000 in Sweden and in others in all the other countries who died because their death rate was higher than NZ.
The guy is a danger to himself and anyone who reads his dangerous misinformation. People who have moved on are the 95% who took sensible advice, knew they were doing it, appreciated coming through alive and are moving on. Mr O’Connor’s group are the bitter and twisted anti – vaxers – the Liz Gunns of the world who refused to be vaccinated and then can’t shut up anout vaccine safety.
Mr O’Connor on behalf of Mr. McCloskrie is arguing for responses that would kill more people next time. How he does it and answers to his conscience is impossible to tell.