A statement by the Federal Government today said Australia was one of the most successful nations in its pandemic response, but an investigation by the independent COVID-19 Response Inquiry finds the country was not adequately prepared for a pandemic.

The statement went on to say;

The Inquiry is a reminder of the incredible service and sacrifice of so many people, not just frontline workers but every single person in Australia.

It was a time of great uncertainty and adversity. Thousands of Australians lost their lives. Borders were closed. Australians were asked to stay in their homes.

The Albanese Government believes we need to be transparent about how the response to COVID-19 was managed and learn the lessons to inform the management of future public health emergcies.

The independent Inquiry says Australia went into the pandemic with stretched health and aged care systems, no clear national management plan, and deficiencies in the National Medical Stockpile.

The Inquiry finds the economic response to the pandemic was critical in achieving the desired public health outcomes.

But mistakes were made, and those mistakes were costly, and inflationary.

Modelling cited in the report says peak inflation could have been reduced by at least 2 per cent if the economic policy settings during the pandemic had better matched the public health restrictions.

Global supply shocks contributed to substantial inflationary pressures in the Australian economy, but the impact was clearly compounded by some poor policy choices during the pandemic and its immediate aftermath.

The Inquiry found that trust in governments and in science has waned as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the responses of Australian Governments.

The report says that rebuilding community trust and maintaining it needs to be an immediate and ongoing priority, because a key partner in any pandemic response is the Australian public.

The Inquiry was established in September 2023 to consider Commonwealth responses to the pandemic, including vaccines and financial support. The Inquiry also considered the role of National Cabinet.

It was led by an independent panel with significant experience in public health and economic policy – Ms Robyn Kruk AO (Chair), Professor Catherine Bennett and Dr Angela Jackson.

The Inquiry has 9 guiding recommendations and 26 actions for both short term and longer-term work to improve Australia’s preparedness for future pandemics.

The Inquiry received 2201 submissions from organisations and individuals, conducted interviews and roundtables, and commissioned research to understand the experiences of those most heavily affected.

Stakeholder interviews included the former Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, Health Minister Greg Hunt, and Minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt, as well as a majority of the former State Premiers and Chief Ministers.

The Government will release a response after careful consideration of the Inquiry’s findings and recommendations.

In the interim, the Albanese Government will deliver a new Australian Centre for Disease Control, which is one of the central recommendations of the independent Inquiry.

The report is available at: https://www.pmc.gov.au/resources/covid-19-response-inquiry-report

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, “The pandemic was an extremely difficult period for many Australians, with its impact still being felt. Given the magnitude of this crisis, I determined that it was in the national interest to review what worked and what we can do to be better prepared in the future. 

“I thank the panel members for their dedicated work. I also thank the many individuals and organisations who shared their experiences of the pandemic.

“The Australian Government is committed to doing all that we can to ensure Australia is fully equipped and prepared to face future pandemics. We will release a response after careful consideration of the Inquiry report.”

Minister for Health Mark Butler said, “This inquiry will be the blueprint to ensure Australia is better prepared for the next pandemic – and there will be a next pandemic.

“As the Inquiry makes clear, Australia lacked sufficient planning and preparation for a pandemic. There are a lot of lessons.

“The establishment of the Australian CDC will help ensure we are prepared next time.

“Within the next 24 hours, I’ll be discussing the Inquiry with my health minister colleagues. Those discussions will continue over coming months.”

Treasurer Jim Chalmers said, "The pandemic showed us the best of Australians’ resilience, but it had a profound and lasting impact on our nation’s economy that we are still repairing today.

"The Inquiry has told us that big decisions were taken, and big mistakes were made. These mistakes were costly and added fuel to the inflationary fire.

"The report, and the progress we’ve made since, are proof of why our responsible economic management is so important. It’s why we’re so focused on fighting inflation, delivering responsible cost of living relief, and repairing the budget mess we inherited."