This report is based on findings from qualitative interviews and is the first of the four reports to be published. It focuses on the drivers behind people’s public health actions and attitudes during the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, and how they have changed over time.

This report draws on three years of data from the Australian Youth Barometer to highlight the experiences of young people in New South Wales and Victoria. It covers issues of young people's mental health, relationships, finances, housing, work and education.

This study involved interviews with a sample of individuals who protested in opposition to public health measures introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research provides important context to the reasons for protest action and the spectrum of grievances and beliefs that motivated anti-authority protest during the pandemic.

The primary recommendation from this inquiry is for the Australian government to establish a Royal Commission to examine the Australian response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the consequential impacts on the Australian community.

This research finds that the Australian vaccination campaign was successful in reducing mortality over 2022, relative to alternative hypothetical vaccination scenarios. The success was attributable to the Australian public’s high levels of engagement with vaccination.