The federal Health Department has refused to release minutes from meetings of the peak group of medical officers providing health advice to Prime Minister Scott Morrison and the premiers during the pandemic | DeborahSnow
The federal Health Department has refused to release minutes from meetings of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee, the peak group of medical officers providing health advice to Prime Minister Scott Morrison and the premiers during the pandemic.
Senator Gallagher sought access not just to the agreed public statements, but to minutes of meetings, pointing to the example set by Britain's equivalent committee, the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies. Senator Gallagher wrote to the federal Health Department on August 18, seeking a review of its decision to reject her June 25 freedom of information request for "minutes of all meetings of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee held since January this year".
Professor Murphy said the AHPPC, which predates the pandemic, had been "formally constituted" as a sub-committee of the national cabinet for the duration of the pandemic, and "any decision around further transparency would require engagement with the national cabinet".
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