Former National leader Simon Bridges has welcomed a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the country's response to Covid-19, but says a gap in the terms of reference is "a missed opportunity".
"Some people they may still say Covid was fundamentally about health. Of course at one level that's true, but in terms of New Zealanders overall well-being it's much more than simply a health response.
"The economic consequences, the social consequences, the well-being effect of all those things needs to be considered. And when you carve out the effect on specific businesses (and sectors), that's a real gap in the terms of reference."
Speaking in his latest role as chairman of the Auckland Business Chamber, Bridges said there are economic lessons that need to be learned for any potential future pandemics.
"The health response was very good. But I think though there was a sense, and there is an increasing sense in business, that there were other parts of the response that weren't as adept or as nimble as they could have been.
The balance of the elimination strategy and management of the MIQ system are two issues critics say should be included.
"Big roading projects, big transport projects, for example, and other things could have potentially kept going with minimal, if any, health consequences. And I hope the inquiry, when it looks at the economic impacts, thinks about some of those things, and how it could be done differently."
It's not just the business sector claiming there's a gap in the parameters of the inquiry.
Martin Newell was a spokesperson for Grounded Kiwis, an organisation which represented thousands of New Zealanders stranded abroad during the pandemic.
He's disappointed the terms of reference don't appear to allow room for the border closures and MIQ.
Dr Michael Baker and Roger Partridge have heavily advocated for the inquiry and hope it will help prepare New Zealand for future pandemics.
"The terms of reference seem to be quite narrow, and they miss a critical aspect of the response."
A high court decision in April ruled that MIQ, in some cases, impeded the right of returning Kiwis in a way that was not justified in a free and democratic society.
"It's important that if, or when we face the next pandemic, we learn the lessons of the last one so that we can create a system that's not just humane, but treats all New Zealanders equally," Newell said.
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