The federal government’s COVID-19 response inquiry is making progress, but is still lacking input from some segments of the community, according to its chairperson Robyn Kruk.
Ms. Kruk noted an “incredibly good response” to earlier calls for public submissions, but there were certain groups whose stories had yet to be told. These included older people, those living in rural and remote areas, people with a disability, and First Nations communities.
She emphasised the importance of ensuring their voices are heard, describing it as “a massive but essential task.”
To engage these groups, the inquiry plans to conduct more detailed focus group discussions in addition to a series of stakeholder roundtable meetings, which are scheduled to take place soon.
Ms. Kruk also highlighted a significant interest from people directly involved in the pandemic, including those severely impacted by the response measures and frontline organisations.
“We have also made significant headway talking with decision makers and key advisors at a national, state territory, and local government level as well as representatives from industry bodies, community groups, and the research sector,” she said.
This would continue over the coming months.
While most states and territories have undertaken statutory or independent reviews, with the results already in the public arena, Ms. Kruk stressed the need for a comprehensive examination of Australia’s response to COVID-19.
“The missing piece is the national response to COVID-19,” Ms. Kruk said.
“We need to look at the whole picture including governance arrangements, National Cabinet, decision-making, and advisory structures. Now is the time to draw upon the work that has already been done and bring those lessons—the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle—together. That has not been done before.”
She confirmed that the impact of the major decisions such as border and school closures and “other significant community issues,” will be examined by the inquiry.
“Our focus will be through the perspective of the Australian Government’s response, and the aim to support a cohesive evidence-informed national approach in the future,” she said.
Australia is already prepared to deal with any future pandemic, Ms. Krug commented.
“We all hope that it will be 30 or 50 years away. But complacency is never a friend,” she said.
“We’ve seen how quickly an incident like COVID-19 can occur. And we have also seen the importance of good evidence in driving a proportionate response. That is why an inquiry like this is so necessary. It gives people a chance to share what they learned, what they hope could be replicated if needed in the future, and what they would not do again.
“Those lessons need to be captured. We can’t risk them being lost through the passage of time or because people are no longer in those positions.
“We owe that to everyone who worked so hard to keep the community safe.”
The Independent Panel is scheduled to deliver a final report to the government, including recommendations to improve Australia’s preparedness for future pandemics, by the end of September 2024.
