COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020

The COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020 is a standalone legislation passed by the New Zealand Parliament on 13 May 2020 to provide a legal framework for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand over the next two years or until COVID-19 is brought under control. The Act allows the Minister of Health (or the Director-General of Health in specified circumstances) to make orders under Section 11 to give effect to the public health response to the COVID-19 in New Zealand.[1][2]

COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020
New Zealand Parliament
Royal assent13 May 2020[1]
Commenced13 May 2020
Legislative history
Introduced byDavid Parker
First reading12 May 2020[1]
Second reading12 May 2020[1]
Third reading13 May 2020[1]
Status: Current legislation

Legislative features

The COVID-19 Public Health Response Act provides the legislative framework for the New Zealand Government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It applies all alert levels under the Government's COVID-19 Alert Level Framework, replaces the country's state of emergency orders, and empowers police and other "enforcement officers" to apply various lockdown restrictions including closing premises or roads, banning travel and public gatherings, and requiring people to self-isolate at home or with their social bubbles.[3][4]

The Act empowers the Minister of Health to make "section 11" orders, which are based on sections 70 and 92L of the Health Act 1956. Section 20 of the Act gives enforcement officers including the Director General of Health, medical officers, Police officers, and any person authorised by the Director General to enter any land, building, craft, vehicle, place, or thing without a warrant if they have "reasonable grounds" to believe that a person is failing to comply with any aspect of a section 11 order. Enforcement officers also have the power to shut down businesses or undertakings that are operating in violation of section 11 orders. Sections 26 and 26 also provide criminal penalties including fines and imprisonment terms not exceeding six months for those caught violating "section 11" orders.[3]

The Act also has a two-year sunset clause and will automatically be repealed unless it is continually refreshed by the New Zealand House of Representatives every 90 days.[3][4][5] The Bill received royal assent on 13 May.[1] Following lobbying from the Māori Council, the Act was amended to remove any specific references to marae and to require that any warrantless search be reported to the relevant marae committee.[4]

History and responses

On 12 May 2020, Attorney General David Parker introduced the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act to provide the legal framework for the Government's efforts to combat COVID-19 and to replace the country's state of emergency. The bill passed its first two readings on 12 May and passed its third reading on 13 May by a margin of 63 to 57 votes. The COVID-19 Public Health Response Act was supported by the Labour-led coalition government (including the allied New Zealand First and Green parties) but was opposed by the opposition National Party. National Member of Parliament Gerry Brownlee claimed that the bill placed too much power in the hands of the Prime Minister without clarifying what advice she needed to make decisions. The ACT party's sole Member of Parliament David Seymour voted in favour of the bill during its first two readings but opposed it during its third reading because he believed that it did not "balance the rights, freedoms and overall welfare of New Zealanders with the Government's effort to control COVID-19."[4][5]

The COVID-19 Public Health Response Act was criticised by Chief Human Rights Commissioner Paul Hunt, who described the lack of scrutiny and rushed process as "a great failure of our democratic process". Hunt also criticised the lack of provision within the legislation to ensure that those making decisions and implementing the new law would abide by national and international human rights as well as the Treaty of Waitangi. [4] Opposition parties and civil liberties groups also expressed concerned that the bill empowered Police to enter premises without a warrant. In response to criticism, Parker claimed that the bill limited police search powers in comparison to the Health Act 1956 and the national state of emergency.[5]

Musician and conspiracy theorist Billy Te Kahika's New Zealand Public Party has sought to repeal the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act.[6][7] In late July, the Public Party entered into an alliance with independent MP Jami-Lee Ross's Advance New Zealand party.[8]

Notes and references
  1. "COVID-19 Public Health Response Bill". New Zealand Parliament. Archived from the original on 3 July 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  2. "COVID-19: Epidemic notice and Orders". Ministry of Health. 28 August 2020. Archived from the original on 30 August 2020. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  3. "COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020: Bills Digest 2628". New Zealand Parliament. 17 July 2020. Archived from the original on 31 August 2020. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  4. Wade, Amelia (14 May 2020). "Covid-19 coronavirus: Controversial bill passed to enforce alert level 2 powers". New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 13 May 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  5. "Covid-19 live updates, May 13: Alert level two law passes; changes to rules for funerals and tangi". The Spinoff. 13 May 2020. Archived from the original on 14 May 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  6. "COVID-19 gives Billy TK the UN red flag blues". Waatea News. 9 July 2020. Archived from the original on 10 July 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  7. Mark Peters (10 July 2020). "Global 'plandemic'". Gisborne Herald. Archived from the original on 28 August 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  8. "Jami-Lee Ross' newly formed alliance with NZ Public Party aims to repeal Govt's Covid-19 Response Bill". 1 News. 26 July 2020. Archived from the original on 31 July 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
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