00:00 It's pretty broad, but not as broad as many had expected or called for. Interestingly
00:06 and of note, looking at the terms of conditions, they explicitly exclude actions taken unilaterally
00:14 by states and territories. As you mentioned, that of course relates to things like lockdowns
00:19 and border closures that we all became much too familiar with, some would say, during
00:24 the height of the COVID pandemic. Those measures of course among the standouts of the pandemic.
00:32 The scope of the inquiry does however extend to things like the health response measures
00:36 including PPE, the use of quarantine and also public health messaging. It also extends to
00:45 individual and business support and governance with a particular focus on future preparedness.
00:51 Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, in response to criticism the carve out was to protect
00:55 Labor premiers, sought to make clear that there were in fact three Liberal premiers
01:00 and three Labor premiers during the height of the pandemic.
01:04 The inquiry that we're announcing today will look at as well the more than 20 inquiries
01:11 that have already happened by people like Dr Peter Shergold and the other inquiries
01:16 that have occurred across states and territories and the Commonwealth up to now. Bring them
01:21 all together in a consolidated way but also look at new information.
01:27 Anika, the Federal Opposition claims this is a broken promise. How does it compare to
01:33 what the Prime Minister committed to ahead of the election?
01:37 Well of course, Joe, there's been a lot of discussion about the prospect of a COVID inquiry
01:42 in many forms. Prior to the election, the now Finance Minister chaired an inquiry which
01:48 in fact did recommend a Royal Commission into the handling of the COVID pandemic. Then on
01:55 the 6th of May last year, so in the weeks leading up to the Federal election, the Prime
02:01 Minister was asked in relation to this and he said we will examine it, COVID, and that
02:06 he supports looking at it through a measure like a Royal Commission. The Opposition there
02:12 seeking to read into that, that the now Government had committed to something with greater powers
02:17 than what we have heard announced today. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton accusing the Prime Minister
02:23 of running a protection racket for Labor Premiers.
02:28 I think the Prime Minister has made a deliberate decision to put the interests of Labor Premiers
02:33 ahead of our national interests and that is a shameful act from a Prime Minister who has
02:38 been elected by the Australian people to provide support and to lead the whole nation.
02:45 And bodies like the Australian Medical Association and the Human Rights Commissioner have already
02:52 expressed concern and disappointment that the scope of this inquiry does not extend
02:57 to those individual, independent decisions made by states and territories, Joe.
03:03 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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