COVID-19 Response

The Hon. S.L. GAME (15:04): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before directing a question to the Attorney-General, representing the Minister for Health and Wellbeing, regarding the COVID inquiry report.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.L. GAME: The recent release of the commonwealth government's COVID-19 response inquiry outlined some of the mistakes made by all Australian governments during the COVID years, including by state governments. According to the report, vaccine mandates, including those enforced by our state government and our public servant bureaucrats, were shown to have contributed to distrust in government and increased vaccine hesitancy and taken a social and economic toll on those who chose against taking a COVID vaccine.

The recent report says the unnecessary closure of schools in the face of recommendations against the measure had a significant and ongoing impact on the mental health of children. The report also speaks of, and I quote, 'the disproportionate impacts of the virus and response measures'. My questions to the Attorney-General are:

1. In light of the findings released in the COVID inquiry report, does the government concede that South Australia's COVID response was disproportionate and caused unnecessary harm and distress to thousands of people living in this state?

2. Will the government apologise to all those people who lost their livelihoods for refusing to take the COVID vaccine or who have taken ill after being forced to undergo a medical procedure, which offered no protection against catching COVID nor against spreading it, against their better judgement or who are still counting the cost of lockdowns?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (15:06): I thank the honourable member for the question. In relation to governments' response generally to the COVID-19 pandemic—and we were in opposition during the time the then Liberal government responded—I think it needs to be noted that governments were responding in a way and in a context where it was unlike anything any government had had to respond to before.

I know as an opposition we took the view that we would not do what oppositions sometimes do and needlessly criticise the way that responses were being managed but be constructive. Occasionally we would have some disagreements with a particular element of the response, but actually very, very rarely. Indeed, when there was legislation that was needed to pass this chamber to protect South Australia we would occasionally have legislation briefed an hour or two before—a very unusual step—and, I think supported by much of the crossbench as well, pass that legislation within hours of it being presented to us because of the unprecedented nature of the crisis that was being faced.

In hindsight I'm sure all governments around the world would have done some things differently, but not knowing what was being faced at the time, governments were responding largely informed by medical advice on what was the best way to keep people as safe as possible. In relation to vaccine mandates in certain areas, most health bodies regard vaccinations as one of the greatest medical breakthroughs in terms of the prevention of disease and the saving of lives.