Upper house supports motion calling for further parliamentary scrutiny of Tasmania’s COVID-19 response

A motion calling for the establishment of a joint select committee to inquire into and report upon the state’s immediate and ongoing COVID-19 response has been supported by the upper house.

The motion, introduced by Nelson independent MLC Meg Webb, narrowly passed the house seven votes to five.

It will now be sent to the lower house for its consideration.

“I regard our lack of a broadly focused joint select committee of inquiry on the COVID-19 response and recovery thus far to be a failure of the Parliament to deliver the appropriate amount of scrutiny on behalf of the Tasmanian people,” Ms Webb said.

“Tasmanians must have confidence in how and why decisions were, and continue to be made, which limit and restrict their day-to-day lives.”

Ms Webb said she was conscious in normal circumstances, when contemplating a proposed joint select committee, it was valid to ask if the issue merited a formal parliamentary inquiry.

“But given the scale and magnitude of this pandemic and its ramifications, I believe that question is redundant in that instance,” she said.

Leader of the House Leonie Hiscutt said this separate inquiry would replicate committees already underway within the Tasmanian parliamentary system.

“Government resources are still squarely focused, as they should be, on fighting the virus,” Ms Hiscutt said.

“It is unnecessary to convene another committee while we are still in an emergency.”

Rumney Labor MLC Sarah Lovell said she would be supporting the motion because she was yet to be convinced any existing inquiry or committee was addressing the terms of reference outlined by Ms Webb.

“There are decisions that have been made and decisions to come that should be scrutinised now,” Ms Lovell said.

Mersey independent MLC Mike Gaffney said he would be supporting the motion because it was unknown how long the pandemic would last and when scrutiny would take place.

Hobart independent MLC Robert Valentine said the committee was an important opportunity to capture information from many quarters and by conducting the inquiry during the pandemic it could inform the government on topics which may have otherwise been missed.

McIntyre independent MLC Tania Rattray said she had concerns about the timing of the inquiry and that she did not consider that there was the urgency for it to start in Parliament’s winter break.

Launceston independent MLC Rosemary Armitage said she was concerned the proposed inquiry would be a source of confusion given the existing committees but said she was not against such an inquiry taking place at another time.

Huon independent MLC Rob Armstrong also said the inquiry would create confusion and that there needed to be some “breathing space” given the pandemic was ongoing.

Windermere independent MLC Ivan Dean said the proposed terms of reference covered areas the Public Accounts Committee’s inquiry was already looking at and said now was not the right time for another committee.

Independent Murchison MLC Ruth Forrest said the inquiry would allow for the capturing of Tasmania’s relatively positive COVID-19 experience, given the sources of almost all cases were known, while it was fresh in people’s minds.

In the lower house, the Greens in April also tabled a motion calling for a joint parliamentary inquiry to examine the COVID-19 response.

During Question Time on Wednesday Greens leader Cassy O’Connor asked Premier Peter Gutwein why he was yet to establish such a committee.

“Despite a solid response to the pandemic from your government and no evidence that you have anything to hide, you are dismissive of this parliamentary process. What are you afraid of?” Ms O’Connor said.

Mr Gutwein said he had attended almost 70 press conferences, almost on a daily basis, explaining the government’s response.

“This government has been the most transparent government in history in the way that we have approached explaining to people on a daily basis and being prepared to answer questions on a daily basis from journalists,” Mr Gutwein said.

“We have a Subordinate Legislation Committee inquiring into matters related to our response and the premier and ministers are appearing.

“We have the Public Accounts Committee, which has laid out terms of reference and is able to range far and wide in our response, and that inquiry is underway.

“We have an independent inquiry that has been set up [into the North West Regional Hospital outbreak].

“I do not believe there is a need for another inquiry over the top of all the current inquiries and scrutiny that is occurring.”

Ms O’Connor said press conferences were not a parliamentary process and Mr Gutwein was not a font of all knowledge about the COVID-19 response.

She said the Subordinate Legislation Committee and Public Accounts Committee did not have the scope to examine the COVID-19 response the way a joint select inquiry would.

Emily Jarvis The Examiner and Advocate 4 June 2020