The Royal Commission held more than 400 meetings and interviews with people and organisations including with:

  • affected whānau, survivors and witnesses of the terrorist attack and their whānau
  • community organisations and individuals
  • current and former government ministers including current and former prime ministers
  • chief executives of Public sector agencies
  • Public sector employees
  • local government representatives
  • academics
  • subject matter specialists
  • integrity agencies
  • international experts

Some current or former public employees and contractors provided information or evidence to the Royal Commission as “whistle-blowers” and did so under conditions of anonymity. A small number of current and former public sector employees could not be named for national security reasons. 

Besides these few exceptions, the list of people and organisations the Royal Commission met with is shared here. 

 

New Zealand-based community representatives and organisations, and iwi/Māori representatives  

  • Chinwe Akomah, President, African Communities Forum Inc
  • Ibrahim Ali, Chairman, Somali Education and Development Trust
  • Hazim Arafeh, former President, FIANZ, President and Committee Member, Manawatu Muslims Association Incorporated
  • Arihia Bennett, Chief Executive, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu
  • Joan Buchanan, Convener, Religious Communities Leadership Forum and Trustee, Spirit of Rangatahi Charitable Trust
  • Ilyas Daud, Aniz Bhamji, Iqbal Ismail, Javed Dadabhai, Latifa Daud, Muslim Community Members
  • Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand
  • Islamic Women’s Council of New Zealand
  • Ismail Waja and Mazin Al Salim, Working Together Group
  • Ahmed Iqbal Jahangir, Imam Abdul Lateef and Mohammed Sahadat, Linwood Islamic Charitable Trust
  • Rana Judge, Otara Business Association
  • JustCommunity
  • Azad Khan, Federation Against Islamophobia and Racism
  • Omar Khan, President and Sara Afsharpur, Vice President, University of Auckland Muslim Students’ Association
  • Masjid al Huda/Dunedin Islamic Centre
  • Masjid an-Nur
  • Nicole McKee, Secretary, Council of Licensed Firearms Owners
  • Guled Mire, Founding Trustee Chairperson, Third Culture Minds: Refugee and Migrant Youth Mental Health Charitable Trust
  • Musa Botan Mohammed, Chairman; Anne Lee, Manager; Shaima’a Al-Badri, Social Worker; Khurshed Shah, Social Worker; Bahja Ali, Social Worker; and Whitney Jessett, Administrator; Umma Trust
  • Navigate Your Way Trust
  • New Zealand Indian Central Association
  • Purapura Whetu, Mental Health and Social Services
  • Religious Communities Leadership Forum
  • Dr Arif Saeid, President, and Colin Henry, Vice President, Refugee Council of New Zealand
  • Yaser Shakib, President; Ali Bayati, Vice President; Anmar Taufeek, Baqir Hussain, Dr Sajjad Naqvi and Dr Abdel Monem, Islamic Council of New Zealand
  • Mohammad Soliman, President and Mohammad Saad Hassan, Vice President, Auckland University of Technology Muslim Students’ Association
  • South Auckland Muslim Association
  • Te Maire Tau, Upoko, Ngāi Tūāhuriri
  • Kevin Tso, Chief Executive, Victim Support Manaaki Tāngata
  • Ismail Waja and Mazin Al Salim, Working Together Group
  • Ricky Waters, Professor Douglas Pratt and Dr Zain Ali, Trustees, Religious Diversity Trust

New Zealand Integrity Agencies

  • Peter Boshier, Chief Ombudsman
  • Dame Susan Devoy CBE, former Race Relations Commissioner
  • John Edwards, Privacy Commissioner
  • Gregory Fortuin, former Race Relations Conciliator
  • Cheryl Gwyn, Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security
  • Brendan Horsley, Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security
  • Professor Paul Hunt, Chief Human Rights Commissioner
  • Chris Laidlaw, former Race Relations Conciliator
  • Jared Mullen, Deputy Chief Censor, Office of Film and Literature Classification
  • Lyn Provost CNZM, Former Auditor-General, current member of the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security’s Advisory Panel
  • Hon Sir Bruce Robertson KNZM, Chief Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants
  • John Ryan, Controller and Auditor-General
  • David Shanks, Chief Censor, Office of Film and Literature Classification

Subject matter references, individuals, and academics

  • Dr Paul Buchanan, Intelligence and Security Consultant
  • Mai Chen, Chair, Superdiversity Institute for Law, Policy and Business
  • Ben Elley, University of Canterbury
  • Dr Jarrod Gilbert, University of Canterbury
  • Sir Peter Gluckman ONZ KNZM FRSNZ FMedSci FRS, former Chief Science Advisor to the Prime Minister, Distinguished Professor at the University of Auckland and founder of Koi Tū: The Centre for Informed Futures;
  • Nicky Hager, author and investigative journalist
  • Ziena Jalil, Advisory Board Member for New Zealand Asian Leaders; an Established Member of Super Diverse Women; Consulting Partner, Senate SHJ
  • Professor Tracey McIntosh, University of Auckland
  • Murray Sherwin CNZM, former Chair of Strategic Risk and Resilience Panel
  • Suzanne Snively, ONZM, Chair, Transparency International New Zealand
  • Spark New Zealand
  • Distinguished Professor Paul Spoonley, Massey University
  • Dr Warren Tucker CNZM (former Director of Government Communications Security Bureau and the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service)
  • Garry Wilson, Peter Bushnell, Sandie Beatie QSO and Geoff Dangerfield QSO – Performance Improvement Framework Reviewers

Current and former New Zealand [Public] sector employees and agencies

  • Stuart Allsop-Smith, New Zealand Police
  • Paul Ash, former Director National Security Policy, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
  • Anita Balakrishnan, former Director Office of Ethnic Communities
  • Jamie Bamford, General Manager, Intelligence, Investigations and Enforcement, New Zealand Customs
  • Brook Barrington, Chief Executive, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
  • Cam Bayly, New Zealand Police
  • John Beaglehole, former Director National Security Policy, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
  • Jonathan Bole, Deputy Chief Executive, New Zealand Police
  • Andrew Bridgman, former Chief Executive of the Ministry of Justice
  • Howard Broad, former Deputy Chief Executive of the Security and Intelligence Group, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
  • Sam Buckle, former Specialist Coordinator, National Security Group, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
  • Mike Bush, Commissioner, New Zealand Police
  • Rajesh Chhana, former Director of National Security Policy, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and current Deputy Secretary, Policy, Ministry of Justice
  • Berlinda Chin, former Director, Office of Ethnic Affairs
  • Mike Clement, Deputy Commissioner, New Zealand Police
  • Trevor Dickinson-McLachlan, New Zealand Police
  • Naomi Ferguson, Chief Executive, Inland Revenue
  • Roy Ferguson, QSO, former Director Intelligence Co-ordination, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet
  • Paul Gatland, New Zealand Police
  • Government Communications Security Bureau
  • Andrew Hampton, Director-General, Government Communications Security Bureau
  • Wally Haumaha, Deputy Commissioner, New Zealand Police
  • Cecille Hillyer, former Director, Intelligence and Assessments, and former Acting Deputy Chief Executive of the National Security Group, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
  • Iona Holsted, Secretary for Education, Ministry of Education
  • Peter Hughes CNZM, State Services Commissioner, and Helene Quilter QSO, Deputy State Services Commissioner, State Services Commission
  • Paul James, Chief Executive, Department of Internal Affairs Te Tari Taiwhenua
  • Andrew Kibblewhite, former Chief Executive, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and current Chief Executive, Ministry of Justice
  • Rebecca Kitteridge, Director-General, New Zealand Security Intelligence Service
  • Erik Koed, Assistant Commissioner, State Services Commission
  • Laulu Mac Leauanae, Chief Executive, Ministry for Pacific Peoples
  • Mike McIlraith, New Zealand Police
  • Al Morrison, former Deputy Commissioner, State Services Commission
  • Rakesh Naidoo, New Zealand Police
  • New Zealand Security Intelligence Service
  • Greg Nicholls, New Zealand Police
  • Mike Pannett, Assistant Commissioner, New Zealand Police
  • Greg Patchell, Head of Immigration New Zealand and Deputy Chief Executive, Immigration, Ministry of Business, Innovation
  • Bill Perry, Acting Chief Executive and Comptroller, New Zealand Customs
  • Rob Pope, Head of the New Zealand Cyber Emergency Response Team
  • Debbie Power, Chief Executive, Ministry of Social Development and Employment
  • John Price, Superintendent Canterbury District Commander, New Zealand Police
  • Catriona Robinson, former Director of the National Security Systems Directorate, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
  • Dave Samuels, Chief Executive, Te Puni Kōkiri
  • Air Marshal Kevin Short, Chief of Defence Force, New Zealand Defence Force
  • Mervin Singham, former Director, Office of Ethnic Communities
  • Christine Stevenson, Chief Executive, Department of Corrections
  • Sarah Stuart-Black, Director of Civil Defence Emergency Management and Deputy Chief Executive of National Emergency Management Agency
  • Carolyn Tremain, Chief Executive, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment

Central and local government politicians

  • Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister and Minister for National Security and Intelligence
  • Hon Lianne Dalziel, Mayor of Christchurch City
  • Hon Christopher Finlayson, former Attorney-General and former Minister Responsible for the Government Communications Security Bureau and the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service
  • Phil Goff CNZM, Mayor of Auckland, and Stephen Town, Chief Executive, Auckland City Council
  • Rt Hon John Key, former Prime Minister and former Minister for National Security and Intelligence
  • Hon Andrew Little, Minister of Justice and Minister Responsible for the Government Communications Security Bureau and the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service
Australia
  • Mike Burgess, Director-General, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation
  • Jacinta Carroll, Director National Security Policy, Australia National University
  • Philip Gaetjens, Secretary, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
  • Reece Kershaw, Commissioner, Australian Federal Police
  • Dame Annette King, New Zealand High Commissioner to Australia
  • Michael Outram, Commissioner, Australian Border Force
  • Rabia Siddique, criminal and human rights lawyer
  • Hon Margaret Stone, Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, Australia
  • Nick Warner, Director-General, Australia’s Office of National Intelligence

 

Norway
  • Roger Berg, Deputy Director Norwegian Police Security Service
  • Professor Tore Bjørgo, Director Centre for Research on Extremism, University of Oslo, Adjunct Professor Norwegian Police University College
  • Marit Bjørnø, Senior Advisor, Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Public Security
  • Dr Anja Dalgaard-Nielsen (chair), Jacob Ravndal, Jakob Ilum and Helge Renå, members of the Evaluation Committee investigating the handling of a right-wing terrorist attack at Al-Noor Islamic Centre in Bærum by Norwegian police and intelligence services;
  • Cato Hemmingby, Norwegian Police University College, Norwegian Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation
  • Jens Stoltenberg, (Secretary General, NATO), former Prime Minister of Norway

 

United Kingdom
  • Lord David Anderson of Ipswich KBE QC, Independent Reviewer (Terrorism Legislation, 2017 MI5 and Police internal reviews)
  • Neil Basu, Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Operations, London Metropolitan Police and National Lead for Counter-terrorism
  • Jonathan Evans, former Director General MI5, Chair of Committee on Standards in Public Life
  • Jeremy Fleming, Director General Government Communications Headquarters
  • Sascha Havlicek (Chief Executive Officer), Julia Ebner (Resident Research Fellow), Rebecca Skellett (Head of Strong Cities Network), Institute of Strategic Dialogue
  • Lord Bernard Hogan-Howe, former Commissioner London Metropolitan Police
  • Tom Hurd, Director General Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism Home Office
  • Sara Khan, Commissioner, Kate Lakhani, Head of Policy and Strategy, Commission for Countering Extremism
  • Andrew Parker, Director General MI5
  • Sir Mark Sedwill, Cabinet Secretary and National Security Advisor, Cabinet Office  
  • Corey Stoughton, Advocacy Director, Liberty Human Rights
  • Tim Wilson, Senior Lecturer, Handa Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence, St Andrews University

 

United States of America
  • Michael McGarrity, Federal Bureau of Intelligence, Assistant Director Counterterrorism Division

 

In addition to the list: The individual convicted of the terrorist attack on 15 March 2019