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Jim Chalmers defends Covid inquiry after Royal Commission promise broken<!-- wp:html --><p><a href="https://whatsnew2day.com/">WhatsNew2Day - Latest News And Breaking Headlines</a></p> <div> <h2>Jim Chalmers defends Covid inquiry after Royal Commission promise broken </h2> <p><strong>Jim Chalmers defended the Covid investigation</strong><br /> <strong>Anthony Albanese promised a royal commission </strong></p> <p class="author-section byline-plain">By Jack Quail for Nca Newswire </p> <p class="byline-section"><span class="article-timestamp article-timestamp-published"> <span class="article-timestamp-label">Published:</span> 12:37 a.m. EDT, September 24, 2023 </span> | <span class="article-timestamp article-timestamp-updated"> <span class="article-timestamp-label">Update:</span> 12:37 a.m. EDT, September 24, 2023 </span> </p> <p> <!-- ad: https://mads.dailymail.co.uk/v8/us/news/none/article/other/para_top.html --> <!-- CWV --><!--(if !IE)>>--> <!-- <!--(if IE)>--></p> <p> <!--(if !IE)>>--> <!--<!--(if IE)>--></p> <p> <!--(if !IE)>>--> <!--<!--(if gte IE 8)>>--> <!-- <!--(if IE 8)>--></p> <p> <!--(if IE 9)>--></p> <p> <!--(if IE)>--></p> <p> <!--(if !IE)> --> <!--</p> <p> <!-- SiteCatalyst code version: H.20.3. Copyright 1997-2009 Omniture, Inc. More info available at http://www.omniture.com --> </p> <p> <!-- End SiteCatalyst code version: H.20.3. --> <!--(if IE)>--></p> <p> <!--(if !IE)> --> <!--<!--(if IE)>--></p> <p> <!--(if !IE)> --> <!-- <!-- CWV --></p> <div> <p class="mol-para-with-font">Politicians including the Treasurer have defended the Government’s inquiry into the Covid pandemic response, insisting it is a useful exercise despite widespread condemnation that it was excluded from the examination of unilateral decisions taken by each State.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">Treasurer Jim Chalmers has doubled down on the government’s long-awaited inquiry, saying despite criticism the inquiry would gather all the information needed to inform future responses to the pandemic.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">“I am confident that when people see the way this review plays out over the next 12 months or so, it will give them the answers they are looking for,” Dr Chalmers told Sky News’ Sunday Agenda.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">“The main focus will be on Commonwealth responsibilities, and we take responsibility for what happens in our regions, and that’s what this is about.”</p> <div class="artSplitter mol-img-group"> <div> <div class="image-wrap"> </div> </div> <p class="imageCaption mol-para-with-font">Treasurer Jim Chalmers has doubled down on the government’s long-awaited inquiry, saying despite criticism the inquiry would gather all the information needed to inform future responses to the pandemic. </p> </div> <p class="mol-para-with-font">Dr Chalmers said the inquiry was free to examine matters outside its terms of reference, adding that states were not prevented from giving evidence if they wished.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">“This will not prevent states from participating,” he said.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">But what is most controversial is that the inquiry’s terms of reference explicitly exclude “actions taken unilaterally by state and territory governments”.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">This means that the most controversial decisions, including lockdowns, school closures, vaccination mandates, internal border closures and contract tracing, will be exempt from investigation unless witnesses from the state and of the territory volunteer to appear.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt also defended the decision to exempt states and territories, saying the inquiry should look into border and school closures.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">He told ABC Insiders the inquiry would “never end” if it had to investigate every decision made by every state and territory government.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">“To begin with, there was never any commitment to the establishment of a royal commission,” he said.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">“The commitment was to conduct an independent investigation. This is what we have established. The government is trying to learn lessons from the past rather than engaging in political action.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">“Typically, royal commissions have been used for areas where there has been poor administration, potential corruption, potential referrals such as Robodebt.”</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">The inquiry is neither a judicial inquiry nor a royal commission and therefore will not have the power to compel witnesses and is not required to hold public hearings.</p> <div class="artSplitter mol-img-group"> <div> <div class="image-wrap"> </div> </div> <p class="imageCaption mol-para-with-font">Dr Chalmers said the inquiry was free to examine matters outside its terms of reference, adding that states were not prevented from giving evidence if they wished. </p> </div> <p class="mol-para-with-font">Instead, he will focus primarily on the Commonwealth’s response to the pandemic – primarily that of the former Morrison government – including international border closures, vaccine procurement and government supports such as JobKeeper and JobSeeker.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">The appointment of health economist and former Labor staffer Angela Jackson to the inquiry was also criticized after it was revealed she had fiercely defended the lockdowns imposed by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews .</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">Public administration expert Robyn Kruk and epidemiologist Catherine Bennett will also be part of the panel.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">Ahead of the May 2022 election, the Prime Minister said there would need to be a “royal commission or some form of inquiry” into the pandemic response.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">But in announcing the inquiry, Mr Albanese said that because a royal commission would take too long to conduct and a judge would not have the required expertise, he had opted for an inquiry instead.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">During the pandemic, a Senate committee led by current Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, which reviewed the government’s response, recommended the creation of a royal commission.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">The investigation is expected to last 12 months.</p> </div> <p> <!-- ad: https://mads.dailymail.co.uk/v8/us/news/none/article/other/inread_player.html --></p> <div class="column-content cleared"> <div class="shareArticles"> <h3 class="social-links-title">Share or comment on this article:<br /> </h3> </div> </div> </div> <p><a href="https://whatsnew2day.com/jim-chalmers-defends-covid-inquiry-after-royal-commission-promise-broken/">Jim Chalmers defends Covid inquiry after Royal Commission promise broken</a></p><!-- /wp:html -->

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Jim Chalmers defends Covid inquiry after Royal Commission promise broken

Jim Chalmers defended the Covid investigation
Anthony Albanese promised a royal commission

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Politicians including the Treasurer have defended the Government’s inquiry into the Covid pandemic response, insisting it is a useful exercise despite widespread condemnation that it was excluded from the examination of unilateral decisions taken by each State.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has doubled down on the government’s long-awaited inquiry, saying despite criticism the inquiry would gather all the information needed to inform future responses to the pandemic.

“I am confident that when people see the way this review plays out over the next 12 months or so, it will give them the answers they are looking for,” Dr Chalmers told Sky News’ Sunday Agenda.

“The main focus will be on Commonwealth responsibilities, and we take responsibility for what happens in our regions, and that’s what this is about.”

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has doubled down on the government’s long-awaited inquiry, saying despite criticism the inquiry would gather all the information needed to inform future responses to the pandemic.

Dr Chalmers said the inquiry was free to examine matters outside its terms of reference, adding that states were not prevented from giving evidence if they wished.

“This will not prevent states from participating,” he said.

But what is most controversial is that the inquiry’s terms of reference explicitly exclude “actions taken unilaterally by state and territory governments”.

This means that the most controversial decisions, including lockdowns, school closures, vaccination mandates, internal border closures and contract tracing, will be exempt from investigation unless witnesses from the state and of the territory volunteer to appear.

Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt also defended the decision to exempt states and territories, saying the inquiry should look into border and school closures.

He told ABC Insiders the inquiry would “never end” if it had to investigate every decision made by every state and territory government.

“To begin with, there was never any commitment to the establishment of a royal commission,” he said.

“The commitment was to conduct an independent investigation. This is what we have established. The government is trying to learn lessons from the past rather than engaging in political action.

“Typically, royal commissions have been used for areas where there has been poor administration, potential corruption, potential referrals such as Robodebt.”

The inquiry is neither a judicial inquiry nor a royal commission and therefore will not have the power to compel witnesses and is not required to hold public hearings.

Dr Chalmers said the inquiry was free to examine matters outside its terms of reference, adding that states were not prevented from giving evidence if they wished.

Instead, he will focus primarily on the Commonwealth’s response to the pandemic – primarily that of the former Morrison government – including international border closures, vaccine procurement and government supports such as JobKeeper and JobSeeker.

The appointment of health economist and former Labor staffer Angela Jackson to the inquiry was also criticized after it was revealed she had fiercely defended the lockdowns imposed by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews .

Public administration expert Robyn Kruk and epidemiologist Catherine Bennett will also be part of the panel.

Ahead of the May 2022 election, the Prime Minister said there would need to be a “royal commission or some form of inquiry” into the pandemic response.

But in announcing the inquiry, Mr Albanese said that because a royal commission would take too long to conduct and a judge would not have the required expertise, he had opted for an inquiry instead.

During the pandemic, a Senate committee led by current Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, which reviewed the government’s response, recommended the creation of a royal commission.

The investigation is expected to last 12 months.

Jim Chalmers defends Covid inquiry after Royal Commission promise broken

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