Police, Nurses, and Employers Among Critics of Australia’s COVID Response

Police were concerned about the blurring of responsibilities between the state-federal governments, as well as between departments.

Nurses and members of the health sector rally outside Parliament House in Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 15, 2022. Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

Police, nurses, and disability groups say state and territory leaders should be subject to any inquiry into the country’s response to the pandemic.

“The decisions made by state and territory premiers, their cabinets, their chief health officers, and the Commonwealth government must be a focus,” the Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union (QNMU) said, in a submission to a Senate Committee.