The pandemic response was devastating to health (both physical and mental) and the economies of the world. This page will attempt to capture headlines of the push for enquiries/inquiries or Royal Commissions into the COVID-19 response in countries around the world.
Links in reverse chronological order
Content will continuously be added
2023
September 22, 2023 – Ian Brighthome’s Substack: New Zealand First [Party] will be seeking a full scale Covid pandemic inquiry. Our Kiwi neighbours will get closer to the truth if Winston Peters has his way – READ
September 21, 2023 – Sky News Australia: Anthony Albanese confirms independent inquiry into Australia’s response to COVID-19 to ‘ensure we are better prepared for future pandemics’ – READ
September 21, 2023 – SBS News Australia: What the COVID-19 inquiry will (and won’t) examine, and why there’s ‘witch-hunt’ concern – READ
“It will not probe actions taken “unilaterally” by states and territories, meaning it may be unable to explore the necessity or process behind lockdowns or school and border closures.”
And mandated vaccination??? as these were all enforced under an “emergency direction” by each STATE!
“Opposition leader Peter Dutton criticised the government for not holding a royal commission and accused Albanese of breaking a promise to the Australian public.”
September 21, 2023 – ABC News: Government launches inquiry into response to COVID-19 pandemic – but state and territory local lockdowns and border closures are likely to avoid scrutiny – READ
Inquiry given 12 months to compile report and it’s terms of reference discounts ‘unilateral’ state and territory COVID-19 measures – under the states “emergency powers”
It is a “whitewash” inquiry, protecting Labor states – REF
September 21, 2023 – The Guardian: Covid-19 inquiry will exclude state and territory decisions, Anthony Albanese says – READ [The exact areas that needs investigating regarding their “coordinated”, “independent” emergency directions!]
September 21, 2023 – ABC News Australia: IN FULL: Anthony Albanese announces inquiry into Australia’s COVID-19 response – WATCH
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Health Minister Mark Butler announced the inquiry and its scope at a press conference in Adelaide
Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet: Commonwealth Government Covid-19 Response Inquiry terms of reference – READ, ARCHIVE
September 21, 2023 – Prime Minister of Australia | Press Release: Improving future preparedness: Inquiry into the response to the Covid-19 pandemic – READ, ARCHIVE
The Government has appointed an independent panel to conduct the Inquiry:
Ms Robyn Kruk AO (NSW) – READ
Professor Catherine Bennett (Victoria) – READ
Dr Angela Jackson (Victoria) – READ
Note: On 8 December 2022, the Australian Government appointed Ms Robyn Kruk AO to lead review into health practitioner regulatory settings.
“Here are the six issues it [the 3 panel team] must probe ahead of the next bug killer” [seriously!] – REF
“In total, the [Australian] federal government spent $291 billion in direct economic support for the pandemic by May 2021, fuelling the Commonwealth’s debt level” – REF
September 20, 2023 – The Guardian: Anthony Albanese expected to announce inquiry into Australia’s Covid response – reports- but the opposition says it won’t have enough powers – READ
September 20, 2023 – Australian Financial Review: [3 person] Expert panel to lead COVID-19 inquiry, but no royal commission – READ
June 21, 2023 – Sydney Moring Herald: Start COVID-19 inquiry now: PM faces demands for action on promise – READ
“Now’s the perfect time to take the politics out of it,..” AMA president Professor Steve Robson said
“The right-aligned Institute of Public Affairs has already proposed its own terms of reference for a royal commission into the country’s handling of the pandemic” – TOR – HERE
June 6, 2023 – Reuters: Britain’s COVID inquiry into the handling of the pandemic – READ
“Britain is holding a public inquiry into the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the government is already seeking legal action against it even before it has started hearing evidence.”
The inquiry was ordered by the government when Boris Johnson was prime minister in 2021, to look at how the COVID-19 pandemic was handled in Britain, and what mistakes were made.”…”The inquiry was formally set up in June 2022“
June 2, 2023 – Reuters: UK government [Sunak] refuses to hand over WhatsApp messages to COVID inquiry – READ
June 1, 2023 – Reuters: Boris Johnson hands COVID-era WhatsApps to UK government amid inquiry row – READ
May 3, 2023 – Reuters: UK government given more time to hand over Boris Johnson messages to COVID inquiry – READ
2022
October 12, 2022 – Institute of Public Affairs: Draft Terms Of Reference For A Royal Commission Into The Covid-19 Response – READ, Archive PDF
June 28, 2022 – BBC: Covid: Terms of inquiry into UK pandemic response finalised – READ
Boris Johnson has announced the launch of the Covid public inquiry and finalised its terms of reference.
In December 2021 Boris Johnson appointed Baroness Hallett to chair the inquiry
January 21, 2022 – Euractiv: Irish government plans public inquiry into handling of pandemic – READ
I would prefer to call it an evaluation of how the country managed COVID-19
Micheál Martin, Taoiseach
January 2022 – Election Campaign promises of Labor’s Anthony Albanese: Albanese promised in January 2022, ahead of the federal election, to hold a “royal commission or some form of inquiry” into the country’s handling of COVID-19 – REF, & May 2022 REF
During the election campaign in May [2022], Albanese told reporters: “I support looking at it through a measure like a royal commission. We haven’t finalised what the structure would be.”
2021
December 15, 2021 – BBC: Ex-High Court judge Baroness Hallett to chair Covid inquiry – appointed by Boris Johnson – READ
The inquiry, whose full remit has not yet been revealed, will get under way next spring.
Scotland plans to start its own inquiry into the pandemic later 2021
April 2021 – Institute for Governement Analysis Report: The coronavirus inquiry – The case for an investigation of government actions during the Covid-19 pandemic – PDF, BBC IfG “think tank” – CREDIT
“The inquiry needs to focus first on establishing the exact state of knowledge of ministers and officials when significant decisions were made…Only then can it fairly consider the reasonableness of those decisions and make recommendations about how the government needs to change as a result.” – REF
