Senior Services Minister Richard Colbeck will appear before a Senate inquiry hearing on the government’s response to COVID-19 on Wednesday after refusing to appear last month. Senator Colbeck was recently forced to defend the decision because he attended the ashes in Hobart the same day he was asked by a Senate committee to appear. In response to a request from the committee chair on January 9 to face the inquiry five days later, he wrote that he was concerned about the timing of the hearing. IN OTHER NEWS “The COVID-19 pandemic is at a critical point with the onset of many Omicron outbreaks,” Senator Colbeck wrote. “Diverting time and resources, including those of senior departmental leaders who play a key role in managing Omicron’s current outbreaks, to testify before the committee at this critical time would impact the urgent and critical work that the department undertakes.” It was later revealed in an update to his Register of Interests that he attended the historic first day of Ashes in Hobart on January 14. A spokesperson for Senator Colbeck said last month that the senator attended only one of the three Days of Ashes. He said the senator attended a meeting on the vaccine and the COVID response on the same day, as well as other meetings related to his senior care portfolio and the government’s response to COVID. “Minister Colbeck’s decision to attend the Ashes Test in Hobart was taken as part of his commitments as Sports Minister and Senator for Tasmania,” he said. What do you think? Send us a letter to the editor:
Senior Services Minister Richard Colbeck will appear before a Senate inquiry hearing on the government’s response to COVID-19 on Wednesday after refusing to appear last month.
Senator Colbeck was recently forced to defend the decision because he attended the ashes in Hobart the same day he was asked by a Senate committee to appear.
In response to a request from the committee chair on January 9 to face the inquiry five days later, he wrote that he was concerned about the timing of the hearing.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is at a critical point with the onset of many Omicron outbreaks,” Senator Colbeck wrote.
“Diverting time and resources, including those of senior departmental leaders who play a key role in managing Omicron’s current outbreaks, to testify before the committee at this critical time would impact the urgent and critical work that the department undertakes.”
It was later revealed in an update to his Register of Interests that he attended the historic first day of Ashes in Hobart on January 14.
A spokesperson for Senator Colbeck said last month that the senator only attended one of the three days of the ashes.
He said the senator attended a meeting on the vaccine and the COVID response on the same day, as well as other meetings related to his senior care portfolio and the government’s response to COVID.
“Minister Colbeck’s decision to attend the Ashes Test in Hobart was taken as part of his commitments as Sports Minister and Senator for Tasmania,” he said.
What do you think? Send us a letter to the editor:
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