The Taxpayers’ Union has submitted a formal response on the Terms of Reference for the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons. The submission calls for expanding the Inquiry to include key economic and governance decisions that were previously excluded.
We highlighted areas needing independent investigation, including fiscal accountability for the $74.1 billion COVID Response and Recovery Fund, Reserve Bank policies that fueled house-price inflation, and the use of Parliamentary urgency to pass legislation. We also recommend examining lockdown strategies, health procurement decisions, and the broader social and economic impacts of the government’s pandemic response.
The scale of economic and social harm from the pandemic requires full transparency. Without reviewing fiscal and monetary policies, the Inquiry cannot identify lessons or ensure future pandemic responses avoid repeating costly mistakes.
