Dr Nick Coatsworth reveals the major mistakes Australia made during the pandemic
Dr Nick Coatsworth has taken a dig at politicians for robbing Australians of rights during the pandemic as Anthony Albanese announces a Royal Commission into the nation’s Covid response.
Mr Albanese on Sunday said an inquiry examining the role of state governments in managing the pandemic and that of the federal coalition under former prime minister Scott Morrison would be held ‘as soon as is practical’.
It comes amid growing calls for a commission to be launched after it was revealed Mr Morrison was sworn into five additional ministerial portfolios without telling the public or Cabinet.
Discussing the matter on the Today show, the former deputy chief medical officer defended Mr Morrison, arguing some state leaders made worse decisions.
Dr Nick Coatsworth (pictured) has defended Scott Morrison in the wake of his portfolio scandal, saying state leaders made worse decision during the Covid pandemic
‘Yes, he erred with not telling the community and cabinet about his five portfolio authority, but Scott Morrison didn’t shutdown playgrounds,’ Dr Coatsworth said on Monday.
‘Scott Morrison didn’t issue fines to children for crimes against disease control, and Scott Morrison didn’t shutdown two towers full of refugee and migrant Australians.
‘There were very real democratic rights that were trammelled in the course of this pandemic.’
Around 3,000 Victorian residents across nine public housing towers in Melbourne were thrusted into a hard lockdown in July 2020 in response to Covid outbreaks.
Over the following 12 months, around 500 children under 15 in NSW were fined a total of $20,000 for not wearing face masks.
Dr Coatsworth said Labor will likely proceed with the commission as promised during the election, but fears it will be used as an opportunity to point blame at the former federal government rather than focusing on key issues, such as violations of rights.
Under public health principle, Dr Coatsworth said authorities should implement the least restrictive interventions to achieve disease control.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a Royal Commission into Australia’s Covid response will be held ‘as soon as is practical’
‘If we start with that principle [at the Royal Commission], we will get the right answers,’ he said.
‘I’m absolutely crystal clear on where the focus needs to be at this Royal Commission and I’m just not confident that the current Prime Minister has the same level of clarity.’
Dr Coatsworth said current narratives about Australia’s Covid response emphasise the federal government’s shortcomings, such as the vaccine rollout, while downplaying state leadership issues – both of which he says are ‘simply not true’.
‘We by and large did well, but the real problem with this pandemic was when our rights as individuals were trammelled upon for too long,’ he said.
‘The focus needs to be on states and territories. They are the ones who had the major disease control powers.
‘Of course the federal government needs to come under scrutiny, but I fear the way we are hearing scrutiny at the moment, that that scrutiny would be unfair and unbalanced and focused more on the federal government than the states.’
Dr Coatsworth said state leaders were responsible for major public health decisions during the pandemic. Pictured: A woman walks through Sydney in a facemask in December 2021
Announcing the commission, Mr Albanese said it was important to assess the roles of different governments in the decisions made during the pandemic.
‘Clearly you need to look at the response of all governments … the different jurisdictions,’ the prime minister told Sky News on Sunday.
‘The pandemic exposed (the fact that) some of the issues with our federation can often be quite difficult with overlapping responsibilities.’
Mr Albanese said he could not envisage a circumstance where a once-in-a-century global pandemic and in response, the largest economic stimulus Australia had seen, was not evaluated.
An investigation would make sure governments learned how things could have been improved and what lessons could be learned.
‘Upon coming to government we’ve been dealing with another wave of Covid,’ Mr Albanese said.
Pictured: Public housing towers along Racecourse Road in Melbourne. Victoria’s Premier ordered the immediate lockdown of nine public housing towers in Flemington and North Melbourne in mid 2020
Dr Coatsworth said democratic rights were trammelled during the pandemic. Pictured: Refugees at The Park Hotel in Melbourne, which has been subject to protests over the treatment of detainees
‘The priority has been getting through that but my government will give consideration to an appropriate form of analysis going on.’
He said a royal commission would place the entire health care system under the spotlight including the interaction between government departments, hospitals, GPs and pharmacies.
Mr Morrison gave himself the powers to act as health minister, finance minister, resources minister, home affairs minister and treasurer in 2020 and 2021.
In a statement last week, Mr Morrison said he made the decision as a ‘safeguard’ during the Covid-19 crisis incase any minister became incapacitated.
The move – which is not illegal but is considered highly unusual – has sparked backlash, with former home affairs minister Karen Andrews calling for him to resign from parliament.
