The NSW Council for Civil Liberties is opposed to Senator Malcolm Roberts' proposal for a Royal Commission into COVID-19. We believe that such an inquiry is both unnecessary and potentially harmful, and we urge the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee to carefully consider the implications of this call.

It is our firm conviction that Senator Roberts' call duplicates the efforts of the COVID-19 Response Inquiry Panel, which is already actively engaged in seeking input from various stakeholders. This duplication not only risks a wasteful allocation of parliamentary resources but also has the potential to divert attention from the ongoing inquiry, which is diligently working to improve Australia's preparedness for future pandemics.

We are concerned that Senator Roberts appears to be leveraging parliamentary proceedings to advance his personal political agenda. The NSW Council for Civil Liberties strongly disagrees with his approach, particularly regarding the dissemination of misinformation concerning COVID-19 vaccine adverse effects and his personal stance against vaccination mandates. Such actions not only compromise the integrity of parliamentary processes but also undermine the public's trust in elected representatives.

The promotion of misinformation, especially on issues of public health, poses a direct threat to the well-being of our communities. Senator Roberts' platforming of unverified information about COVID-19 vaccines and his anti-vaccination stance may contribute to a climate of fear and hesitancy, potentially leading to adverse consequences for public health.

Read our submission here.