Epidemic Response Committee

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}

The Epidemic Response Committee was a select committee of the New Zealand House of Representatives. It was established on 25 March 2020 during the 52nd Parliament in response to the coronavirus pandemic.{{cite web |title=Epidemic Response |url=https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/scl/epidemic-response/ |publisher=New Zealand Parliament |access-date=7 April 2020 |archive-date=7 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200407181334/https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/scl/epidemic-response/ |url-status=dead }} Its purpose was to hold the government to account with regards to its response to the coronavirus pandemic, as the rest of Parliament was shut down to contain the pandemic. The committee was chaired by Simon Bridges, the then Leader of the Opposition.{{cite news |title=Watch as Epidemic Response Committee hears from Civil Defence and police |url=https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/04/watch-live-as-epidemic-response-committee-hears-from-civil-defence-and-police.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200404005151/https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/04/watch-live-as-epidemic-response-committee-hears-from-civil-defence-and-police.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 April 2020 |access-date=7 April 2020 |work=Newshub |date=2 April 2020}} Michael Woodhouse, the Opposition Health spokesperson, was designated as deputy chair on 5 May 2020.{{cite web |title=Michael Woodhouse |url= https://www.parliament.nz/en/mps-and-electorates/members-of-parliament/woodhouse-michael/ |publisher=New Zealand Parliament |access-date=11 May 2020}} On 26 May 2020 the committee was disbanded by a motion passed by the 52nd Parliament with leader of the House Chris Hipkins stating the committee was no longer needed as New Zealand had moved to COVID-19 alert level 2, and parliament could function largely as it did pre lockdown.{{cite web |title=Parliament returns to a safe normal |url=https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/parliament-returns-safe-normal/ |publisher=New Zealand Government |access-date=27 May 2020}}

The committee had eleven members. Permanent members of the committee were Bridges as chairperson and David Seymour as the sole member of ACT New Zealand. Other members are made up from the various parties represented in parliament; four National Party members in addition to Bridges, three members from the Labour Party, and one member each from the Green Party and New Zealand First. The committee met via Zoom.{{cite news |title=Zoom. A national security threat? |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018741034/zoom-a-national-security-threat |access-date=7 April 2020 |work=Radio New Zealand |date=1 April 2020}}

The membership of the committee was as follows:{{cite web |title=Epidemic Response |url=https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/scl/epidemic-response/tab/mp |publisher=New Zealand Parliament |access-date=7 April 2020 |archive-date=7 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200507071515/https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/scl/epidemic-response/tab/mp |url-status=dead }}

Key

{{Party index link|New Zealand National Party}}

{{Party index link|New Zealand Labour Party}}

{{Party index link|Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand}}

{{Party index link|New Zealand First}}

{{Party index link|ACT New Zealand}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! Name ! Portrait ! Electorate
style=background:{{party color|New Zealand National Party}} | | Simon Bridges | 75px | {{NZ electorate link|Tauranga}}
style=background:{{party color|New Zealand Labour Party}} | | Kiri Allan | 75px | List
style=background:{{party color|New Zealand National Party}} | | Paula Bennett | 75px | {{NZ electorate link|Upper Harbour}}
style=background:{{party color|Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand}} | | Marama Davidson | 75px | List
style=background:{{party color|New Zealand Labour Party}} | | Ruth Dyson | 75px | {{NZ electorate link|Port Hills}}
style=background:{{party color|New Zealand National Party}} | | Paul Goldsmith | 75px | List
style=background:{{party color|New Zealand National Party}} | | Shane Reti | 75px | {{NZ electorate link|Whangarei}}
style=background:{{party color|ACT New Zealand}} | | David Seymour | 75px | {{NZ electorate link|Epsom}}
style=background:{{party color|New Zealand First}} | | Fletcher Tabuteau | 75px | List
style=background:{{party color|New Zealand Labour Party}} | | Michael Wood | 75px | {{NZ electorate link|Mount Roskill}}
style=background:{{party color|New Zealand National Party}} | | Michael Woodhouse | 75px | List