Covid-19 vaccine mandates in New Zealand - An uncertain future ahead?

New Zealand's health minister recently disclosed that the coalition government is still grappling with the promise to terminate Covid-19 vaccine mandates, according to emerging reports. 

Despite the previous administration lifting government mandates on COVID-19 vaccinations more than a year ago, there remains ambiguity surrounding the coalition government's stance on this critical issue.

In an interview with Radio New Zealand, Health Minister Shane Reti indicated that "no decisions have been made" concerning the commitment. However, Reti acknowledged the existence of individual workplace arrangements regarding Covid-19 vaccines and hinted at potential discussions within the Cabinet to determine if these mandates would be impacted by the government's pledge. 

"What was exactly meant by that [coalition agreement]? Was it also meant [to cover] the workplace mandates as well?" Reti queried, as quoted by RNZ. "There'll be some discussions and decisions that we'll take to Cabinet and figure our way through."

New Zealand First secured the pledge to terminate all Covid-19 vaccine mandates upon joining the coalition government last year. Within the coalition agreement between New Zealand First and the National Party, it explicitly stated the commitment to "uphold the principles of liberal democracy, including equal citizenship and parliamentary sovereignty." 

This encompassed the pivotal decision to "end all COVID-19 vaccine mandates still in operation." However, a spokesperson for New Zealand First informed RNZ that their team is "still working through the details" of this promise.

Government-imposed vaccine mandates in New Zealand encompassed a wide range of industries, including healthcare and other high-risk sectors. However, as the pandemic's impact gradually diminished and Covid-19 became more manageable in workplaces, these mandates were subsequently lifted.

As New Zealand continues to grapple with the complexities surrounding Covid-19 vaccine mandates, the prospect of their potential reinstatement remains uncertain. With individual workplace arrangements still in place and deliberations underway within the government, the fate of vaccine mandates in workplaces hangs in the balance.