COVID-19 crisis cabinet to outlive pandemic and replace COAG
Scott Morrison has signalled his preference for the national cabinet to replace COAG as a permanent body to manage the federation.
Scott Morrison has signalled his preference for the national cabinet to become a permanent decision-making body to manage the federation, with West Australian Labor Premier Mark McGowan arguing the COVID-19 leaders’ model should replace the Council of Australian Governments.
The Prime Minister said that through the national cabinet — formed in response to the coronavirus pandemic — the “federation had been more responsive and more co-ordinated than we’ve seen in many years”.
“The national cabinet has been an effective way for all governments to work together, share information and make decisions in a timely and consistent way during this crisis,” Mr Morrison told The Australian. “The processes we’ve established for the national cabinet may prove to be a better way for our federal system to work in the future, but this will be a matter for another time. Right now all governments are focused on the job at hand to protect lives and livelihoods.”
National cabinet, established at a COAG leaders’ meeting in Sydney on March 13, will hold its 13th meeting on Thursday. In a four-week period, unprecedented co-operation between federal, state and territory governments has been reached on major COVID-19 reforms, including economic and rent relief measures, implementation of social and border restrictions, and collaboration on education, health and aged-care policy settings.
Mr McGowan said he had raised the option of continuing the national cabinet with Mr Morrison and other state leaders. There had been “no objection to this idea”, he added. “National cabinet has worked exceptionally well. It has been an extremely effective way of ensuring all the states, territories and the federal government work together to respond to COVID-19,” Mr McGowan said.
“Personally, I would like to see national cabinet continue, and replace COAG in the future. The national cabinet process has removed the political boundaries that can hamper COAG. The politics is removed, and the sole focus is on working together to achieve a good outcome.”
The Australian understands NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian believes continuation of the national cabinet post-pandemic is worth considering.
Mr McGowan said national cabinet was a much more “effective way of dealing with the important issues confronting our nation”.
“I have raised this with the Prime Minister and other premiers as a permanent way forward,” he said.
“Indeed, the PM came up with the idea of the national cabinet, so I expect he would be very supportive of its continuation.”
COAG, which includes the Australian Local Government Association president, traditionally holds meetings twice a year. The most COAG leaders have met since it was established by Paul Keating in 1992 is four times in a year. Under the COAG system, issues can be discussed “out-of-session by correspondence”.
ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said that whether national cabinet would continue “beyond the immediate crisis” was an “open question”.
“National cabinet is just a stripped-back COAG that meets more often,” Mr Barr said. “It has proven to be very effective in managing a crisis.”
Annastacia Palaszczuk’s spokesman said the Queensland Premier had been “highly complimentary” about the national cabinet.
While Mr Keating and John Howard used COAG to support major market reform, including the introduction and delivery of national competition policy, the GST and national electricity market, the model has come under pressure in recent years over its inability to deliver more immediate action on key national issues.
Anthony Albanese, who was contacted for comment on Monday, has previously referred to the national cabinet as “COAG phone hook-ups” after being excluded from the group.
Geoff Gallop, the former Labor premier of WA and deputy chairman of the COAG reform council, which was disbanded by Tony Abbott in 2014, said the national cabinet was working well but questioned whether it would prove effective following the COVID-19 pandemic.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING: JOE KELLY, RICHARD FERGUSON
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