Doubts over independence of Labor’s Covid inquiry

New questions have been raised over the independence of Labor’s Covid inquiry, with one panel member Angela Jackson having made repeated criticisms of the Coalition over several years.

Covid inquiry panellist Angela Jackson.

The Coalition has called on Anthony Albanese to expand the scope of his Covid-19 inquiry, arguing former Labor premiers Daniel Andrews and Annastacia Palaszczuk should “publicly testify to the pandemic decisions they made” following their resignations.

Opposition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston also demanded the Prime Minister immediately explain if Angela Jackson’s tenure as a panellist on the independent inquiry into Australia’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic remained appropriate given her previous public criticisms of Liberal leaders – including describing Malcolm Turnbull as a “shameful prime minister”.

The appointment of Dr Jackson – a health economist, national chair of the Women in Economics Network and former deputy chief of staff to Labor finance minister Lindsay Tanner – had previously attracted criticism given her public support during the pandemic for Victoria’s hard lockdowns.

The Covid inquiry – due to deliver its final report by September 30 – was criticised for excluding unilateral state government decisions made during the pandemic, with Senator Ruston arguing the resignations of Mr Andrews and Ms Palaszczuk in Victoria and Queensland meant the scope of the inquiry should be revisited.

“The Prime Minister cannot continue to run a protection racket for two premiers that made ­significant decisions impacting residents of their state and our country,” she said. “It has been clear from the outset that this is a witch-hunt inquiry, protecting the Labor states and concocted by the Prime Minister as a distraction from his shambolic handling of the voice and now the current cost-of-living crisis.”

Senator Ruston also questioned whether Dr Jackson could act in a politically impartial manner given a series of criticisms of the Coalition made over several years on social media. Commenting on the Twitter platform, now known as X, Dr Jackson previously described Malcolm Turnbull as a “shameful prime minister” in October 2016 and then a “laughing-stock” in February 2018 in relation to the so-called “bonk ban” which stopped ministers from having sex with staffers.

In August 2016, she said that then Labor leader Bill Shorten “shows the backbone that @TurnbullMalcolm lacks” while, in March 2021, she warned that – if former finance minister Mathias Cormann was appointed to lead the OECD – it would “weaken the institution”.

During the last election campaign in April 2022, Dr Jackson suggested that Mr Albanese not knowing the cash or unemployment rate was likely not because he “doesn’t know the numbers” but was more likely due to a “brain freeze”.

A spokeswoman for Health Minister Mark Butler said Dr Jackson was a “very widely ­renowned economist with a particular focus on health economics”. “Dr Jackson brings those complementary skills to the independent panel conducting the ­inquiry … The national independent inquiry is examining the pandemic response from the commonwealth government and will make recommendations to improve response measures in the event of future pandemics.”

But Senator Ruston seized on Dr Jackson’s comments, telling The Australian that Mr Albanese “must immediately explain if he thinks Dr Jackson’s tenure as a panellist is appropriate considering her partisan rhetoric.”

“The opposition is deeply concerned that Dr Jackson’s partisan political commentary will taint her ability to be an independent and balanced member of the inquiry team.”

Dr Jackson was appointed to the inquiry into the pandemic as part of an “independent” three-member panel which also includes epidemiologist Catherine Bennett and panel chair Robyn Kruk, a former NSW health secretary.

Dr Jackson was contacted for comment.