Shadow health minister Anne Ruston called on Australians to question Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s inquiry into the former Coalition government’s response to COVID-19.
The independent inquiry, announced on Thursday, stopped short of a royal commission which could compel witnesses and probe states and territories on their actions at the time.
It drew criticism as states and territories were largely left to enforce and lift regulations as they saw fit in consultations with relevant health chiefs.
Ms Ruston told Sky News Australia the consequences of some of the states and territories’ actions were being ignored under the Prime Minister’s inquiry.
“To have an inquiry that doesn’t compel the states and territories to participate in it is just joke,” she said on Thursday.
“It is not a half an inquiry, it is not really an inquiry at all.”
The Liberal Senator said she would be fighting to see states and territories answer for their actions and called on the public and impacted sectors to question their premiers and federal government.
“(Australians) should be asking those Premiers ‘what have you got to hide, why won’t you let Australia and particularly people who live in the state have some transparency about the actions they took during the pandemic’,” she said.
“The actions that saw Melbourne be the most locked down city in the world where we saw people, because of border closures between states and territories, weren’t able to see loved ones when they were dying.
“I would also call on all of those sectors that were really, really hardly hit by COVID. Everybody was impacted.”
Ms Ruston called out Mr Albanese for his “broken promise” and “pathetic” response to the Australian public.
“It’s a pretty disappointing and sad day for Australia that the government would actually do this to a country about the most important and impactful [event],” she said.
Mr Albanese on Thursday announced the inquiry will investigate Commonwealth responses to the pandemic, the provision of vaccinations and treatments and key medical supplies to Australians.
It will also examine mental health support offered to those affected by the virus and lockdowns, financial support for individuals and businesses and assistances for Aussies abroad.
“We need to examine what went right, what could be done better with a focus to the future because the health experts and the science tells us that this pandemic may well be, indeed, is not likely to be the last one that occurs so that’s why better preparedness is very important,” he said.
The inquiry is expected to deliver its final report within 12 months by September 30, 2024.
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