Cliff Reece
The Albanese government’s current so-called “independent” inquiry into the Commonwealth government’s COVID-19 response has been widely criticised as being inadequate.
Its terms of reference explicitly exclude it from examining “any actions taken unilaterally by state and territory governments,” which means lockdowns, state border closures, contact tracing failures and successes, school closures, vaccine mandates, and policing techniques will all be exempt from scrutiny.
This means that actions taken by former Labor State Premiers – including Victoria’s Daniel Andrews – will not be included in the review.
Australia’s Human Rights Commissioner Lorraine Finlay said it was not the “best option” to examine the issue.
“The powers of a Royal Commission to request documents, summons witnesses, take evidence under oath and hold public hearings are essential to ensure that the pandemic response can be reviewed in a comprehensive way,” she said.
The Australian Industry Group and Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry were also critical, as were the Australian Institute for Progress, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, and the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, among others.
Senator Ralph Babet, who urged the Senate to establish a proper all-encompassing Commission of Inquiry into the government response to the COVID-19 pandemic, has criticised Liberal and Labor senators who voted against his motion.
The motion lost 26 votes to 10, with the Liberal Party split over the issue.
If passed, the inquiry would have had the same powers and independence as a royal commission.
“The Senate has overwhelmingly voted to protect COVID-era secrets, to protect incompetence, and protect those who inflicted human rights abuses on their fellow citizens,” Babet said.
“Australians deserve to know the truth about what went on behind closed doors during the pandemic. Civil liberties were trashed, businesses were destroyed, children’s education was ruined, sports were banned, people died alone, lives were lost and families were broken up.
“Is it too much for Australians to ask for governments and the bureaucrats advising them to be held to account for the advice and actions they took during the pandemic?
“To simply move on, as if nothing ever happened, is an outrage greater than the multiple outrages perpetrated during the pandemic itself,” he added.
Babet accused Australia’s “political class” of denying the public a complete account of what happened.
Senators who supported his motion were, Matt Canavan and Ross Cadell (Nationals), Gerard Rennick, Andrew McLachlan, Richard Colbeck and Matt O’Sullivan (Liberals), Pauline Hanson and Malcolm Roberts (One Nation) and David Pocock (Independent).
The Greens and most other Liberals abstained, and all Labor senators voted against the Bill.
Back In 2022, a Labor-led Senate Committee said they supported a Royal Commission or similar body to look into Australia’s COVID response.
The issue was debated again in late 2023, when the Senate voted to hold an inquiry to examine what would be an appropriate terms of reference for a COVID-19 Royal Commission.
This was then referred to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee which recommended that the federal government establish a “Royal Commission to examine the Australian response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequential impacts on the Australian community.”
At that time, there was only a dissenting report from the two Labor members.
Despite that, a totally different and weaker ‘COVID-19 Response Inquiry’ was announced by Prime Minister Albanese.
It would be headed by retired public servant and policymaker, Robyn Kruk.
When Albanese first announced this limited inquiry, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton called it a “protection racket” for Labor premiers because its scope did not include state responses. Senator Matt Canavan also castigated the Albanese government.
“Before the election the Prime Minister promised a Covid-19 inquiry through a measure like a royal commission but instead gave us an inadequate and perfunctory inquiry,” Canavan said.
Senator Canavan believes Australians deserve to have a full Commission of Inquiry – as was promised – to ensure that we can prepare for and better manage any future pandemics without trampling on the rights of Australians.
A full Commission of Inquiry would have the same powers as a Royal Commission and would be able to examine the responses from not just the federal government but also from the States and Territories.
“Governments around the country impinged on Australians rights and we need a full investigation of these responses to ensure that in the future we can respond to pandemics without making the same mistakes we made with Covid while protecting Australians rights and jobs”, said Senator Canavan.
“There are still Australians that remain locked out of jobs because of coronavirus measures. A proper inquiry into the pandemic is well overdue,” he said.
A Commission of Inquiry would include, inter alia, a review of the following:
- lockdowns;
- school closures;
- social distancing;
- remote working arrangements;
- mask mandates;
- interstate border closures;
- international border closures;
- quarantine arrangements;
- vaccination, including procurement, vaccine mandates imposed by both government and non-government organisations; and
- the capacity of the health, education, aged care and housing and domestic violence systems to respond to the crisis.
A Commission of Inquiry would have the independence needed, including the power to compel answers from often unwilling governments, to give the public confidence that its final report and any recommendations will be credible and unbiased.
Albanese’s very limited inquiry led by Robyn Kruk is due to report on 30 September.
There is an overwhelming case for the establishment of an extensive Covid-19 Commission of Inquiry immediately following the Albanese government’s release of Kruk’s limited report.
As usual, the ‘nice’ Anthony Albanese is showing his true nature – just as he did with the race-based Voice and multiple immigration disasters – and he shouldn’t be allowed to get away with it.
He is clearly attempting to protect his former Labor state premier mates, especially Daniel Andrews.
Albanese and his far-left comrades in the Labor-Greens-Teal government think we are so stupid that we will meekly accept Kruk’s ‘Claytons’ report and leave it at that.
The people of Australia deserve an opportunity to learn from the experiences of the Covid-19 pandemic and the response to it, so we don’t have to go through it all again.
We should demand a full Commission of inquiry.
Thanks to Rex Widerstrom at The Epoch Times for some of the information included in this article – and Johannes Leak for his great cartoon depicting Daniel Andrews.
Originally published at Richardson Post.