Senator The Hon. Matthew Canavan, Senator for Queensland, Media Release, 25 June 2024

Senator Canavan will today [25 June 2024] introduce a bill to institute a Royal Commission into Australia’s Covid response.

The bill has been jointly signed by Senators Antic, Rennick, O’Sullivan, Roberts, and Babet and sets out the arrangements and terms of reference to hold a Royal Commission into Australia’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Before the election the Prime Minister promised a Covid-19 inquiry through a measure like a royal commission but instead gave us an inadequate and perfunctory inquiry,” Senator Canavan said.

“Australians deserve to have the Royal Commission that was promised to ensure that we can prepare and manage for any future pandemics in a better manner without trampling on the rights of Australians.

“This bill will give Australians a full Commission of Inquiry, with the same powers that a Royal Commission has, that will be able to examine the responses from not just the federal government but by the states and territories as well.

“Governments around the country impinged on Australians rights and we need a full investigation of these responses, and to ensure that in the future we can respond to pandemics without making the same mistakes we made with Covid while protecting Australians rights and jobs.

“There are still Australians that remain locked out of jobs because of coronavirus measures. A proper inquiry into the pandemic is well over due.”

The Terms of Reference were guided by the recommendations from the Senate Inquiry into a Covid-19 Royal Commission, which saw support from the coalition and the Greens within the report.