Parliamentary Committee to Inquire into COVID-19 Response and Recovery
I have called on my Parliamentary colleagues to work together in our June sitting of Parliament to establish a joint select committee of inquiry into the State’s response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tasmania is lagging behind other jurisdictions across Australia in implementing a cross-party parliamentary committee for this task. Federal Parliament and all other Parliaments in Australia, except WA, have appointed similar committees already as an expected and valuable part of a strong parliamentary democracy.
I have written letters to the Premier, the Opposition, the Tasmanian Greens and all Independent MPs in the Tasmanian Parliament asking them to join me in delivering this important outcome to the Tasmanian people without further delay.
Dear Premier,
RE: Parliamentary Committee to Inquire into the COVID-19 Response
Thank you for your reply to my letter of 2 April relating to the establishment of a parliamentary committee to inquire into the COVID-19 response.
Circumstances have moved on considerably since then, and I write again to invite you to reconsider supporting the establishment of a Joint Select Committee to inquire into the state’s immediate and ongoing COVID-19 response and recovery measures and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health, economic and social lives of Tasmanians.
As you may be aware, Tasmania is lagging behind other jurisdictions on this fundamental mechanism of parliamentary scrutiny. With the exception of Western Australia, who not only maintained but increased its parliamentary sitting schedule since the declaration of emergency, all other states and territories and the Federal Parliament are undertaking inquiries into government COVID-19 responses. Such inquiries, promptly convened, have also been the norm in parliamentary democracies internationally.
Inquiries in other Australian jurisdictions were convened in March and April, with the support of the relevant government. These inquiries are concurrent with, and in addition to, emergency response actions, continuation of parliamentary activity on an increased, reduced or amended schedule and the establishment of other non-parliamentary advisory bodies. In each case, they have cross-party membership and have commenced hearings. Participation at hearings has included government Ministers, heads of Departments and Agencies, and key business and community stakeholders. The ACT committee has already tabled its first report, and a number of other interstate committees of inquiry are close to delivering first reports to their Parliaments. All will continue with their important work across the winter recess period.
Tasmania need not be deprived of a similar positive opportunity to, through a formal parliamentary process, capture, record and review the relative success story that has been our state’s response to the COVID-19 crisis. The Tasmanian Parliament sitting days scheduled in June are the timely opportunity for a collaborative approach in both houses for the establishment of a Joint Select Committee. This would allow the committee to convene and begin its work during our Parliamentary winter recess.
As we emerge from the urgency of the pandemic’s first wave, now is the appropriate and constructive time to effectively capture formally and publicly the immediacy of experiences for stakeholders, to collate and document relevant information and records, and to make an important contribution to the recovery trajectory of post-pandemic Tasmania.
Whilst we can acknowledge the value of other, more narrowly focused or limited parliamentary scrutiny opportunities, such as the Subordinate Legislation Committee reviewing one form of emergency Notice, or Question Time in the reduced sitting schedule, these do not provide the citizens of Tasmania with the comprehensive, accountable process of review that parliamentary committees of inquiry are relied on to deliver in a healthy democracy.
Similarly, the contribution of other less-formal, selectively representative, non-parliamentary contributions, such as the Premier’s Economic and Social Recovery Advisory Council, will no doubt provide useful advice and input to the government, but will not carry the imprimatur of the full Parliament, representative of and answerable to the Tasmanian people.
Premier, you have on many occasions, publicly welcomed the idea of scrutiny and accountability. I take your statements on this to be genuine. Given the magnitude of our recent unique and traumatic experience, I am puzzled that it appears your government is seeking to avoid the standard, respected parliamentary mechanism of a joint house committee of inquiry to deliver this to the Tasmanian people. Where other state and territory governments and our National Parliament have welcomed and acted on similar responsibilities and processes, your reluctance to do so invites questions as to your motivation in eschewing this expected path.
I make this request in good faith; that you give fresh consideration to supporting the establishment of a COVID-19 Joint Select Committee, to allow Tasmanians and the broad range of affected stakeholders to contribute to the formal public record and have a say in their state’s response and recovery.
To assist and inform your reassessment of this opportunity, I have attached to this letter the following documents:
- A Background Briefing Paper, including a jurisdictional scan;
- A summarised Rationale for the establishment of a joint house committee; and
- A draft Terms of Reference for a joint house committee.
I would welcome the opportunity to go through this material with you and discuss further the prospect of progressing this matter in June.
In addition to this letter, I am writing along similar lines to the leader of the Opposition, the leader of the Tasmanian Greens, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, the President of the Legislative Council and to the independent members in each house of the Tasmanian Parliament, providing the same information for their consideration.
I am confident there is a constructive and collaborative intent among members of our parliament and across parties to see this outcome realised. I encourage you to recognise the prompt establishment of a joint house committee as an appropriate and valuable step to harness the capacity, expertise and community leadership held in Tasmania’s Parliament, and within the broader electorate.
The Tasmanian community have heard a lot from government these last few months. I believe it is time to now hear from Tasmanians, by providing a formal and accountable democratic platform by which they can share their experiences, fears, frustrations and hopes.
I believe the Tasmanian community would welcome this move, and see it as a reassuring strengthening of our democracy. Further, there are key stakeholders across all facets of the Tasmanian community who would value the opportunity to contribute to a formal parliamentary process. They would do so knowing that their experience and insight would become a matter of public record and would enhance the understanding, scrutiny and analysis of the COVID-19 period and assist in future preparedness for other challenges our state may face.
I trust you will recognise and not shy away from this constructive, appropriate and timely opportunity before us as a Parliament. Tasmanians have had to sacrifice a great deal in recent times, I look forward to your support in ensuring that Tasmania does not miss out on an essential democratic process to comprehensively collect, consolidate, examine and learn from our experiences in this extraordinary time for our state.
Yours sincerely
Hon Meg Webb MLC
Media Release
CALLS FOR JOINT COMMITTEE INTO TASMANIA’S COVID-19 RESPONSE
Independent MLC for Nelson, Meg Webb says Tasmania needs a joint parliamentary committee into the State’s response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
In letters to the Premier, the Opposition, the Greens and all Independent MPs in the Tasmanian Parliament yesterday Ms Webb made the case for Tasmania to follow jurisdictions across Australia and implement a cross-party parliamentary committee to review and document the State’s response and recovery.
“As we emerge from the first phase of pandemic response, Tasmania needs a formal parliamentary process to capture, record and review the successes and challenges around the State’s response to the COVID-19 crisis and to inform our recovery.
“With the Federal Parliament and all other Parliaments in Australia, except WA, appointing similar committees already we need to give Tasmanians the confidence that we are also applying proper scrutiny to our response and preparing for our future needs.
“The scope, powers, representation and comprehensive remit of a parliamentary committee of inquiry is an essential way for us to reflect, respond and emerge from COVID-19 while equipping us to lead through the next challenge.
“Such a committee will also give Tasmanians confidence that during our reduced parliamentary sitting schedule, there will be a comprehensive, accountable process of review of government decision making that may otherwise be hijacked by partisan politics.”
“Tasmania is playing catch-up while other states are demonstrating that a broad committee of inquiry is expected practice in an accountable democracy and can run alongside other parliamentary and non-parliamentary activities.
“Our community has sacrificed great deal in recent times, but Tasmanians should feel confident they aren’t being short-changed on democratic decision making.
A full background briefing note detailing parliamentary committee responses across Australia is attached for further reference.
