On March 15, 2020 Prime Minister Scott Morrison created the Natianal Cabinet (NC) made up of himself, State Premiers and Ministers, with the intention of managing the COVID-19 response, with their first meeting held the same day where they discussed “self-isolation requirement on international arrivals, ban on cruise ships, social distancing measures, non-essential mass gatherings, aged care facilities, remote communities, State governments, NRL and public transport”. [1]
- On June 28, 2021 the National Cabinet announced they would make COVID-19 vaccination for Aged Care workers compulsory [2]
- On August 5, 2021 a judge finds the NC is not a ‘legitimate’ committee of federal Cabinet
Many COVID-19 responses such as lockdowns, mask mandates and mandatory vaccination have been implemented as a direct result of decisions made by National Cabinet, which states then implement, with the help of their Health Ministers, under their separate emergency powers.
Each State and Territory of Australia are managing the “COVID-19 response” under their own emergency legislation, separate to The Commonwealth. This separates the legal measures away from The Constitution of Australia, and all international human rights treaties under which the federal government has signed, and not the states.