COVID-19 INQUIRY: ‘Blurred Responsibilities’ Between State and Federal Governments

Published on April 2, 2024

The government of South Australia said responsibilities between the state and federal governments were blurred during COVID-19. In a submission to the federal Labor government’s COVID-19 Response Inquiry, South Australia said there was a crossover on issues such as border control, vaccines, and aged care, noting there were “challenges and tension” in coordinating emergency management arrangements. “During the COVID-19 pandemic there were blurred responsibilities in some instances, with the pandemic exacerbating challenges with the Federation architecture,” the state government said (pdf). It raised a few examples. The Commonwealth had control “over overseas arrivals, while states and territories were responsible for administering hotel quarantine schemes.”...

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