On Thursday 26 March the Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the creation of a new National Covid-19 Coordination Commission. The Commission has been established to coordinate advice to the Australian Government on actions to anticipate and mitigate the economic and social effects of the global coronavirus pandemic.
Designed to “better coordinate work between the private and public sector”, the commission will see “CEOs talking to CEOs” to come up with national solutions to problems, according to Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
Former Fortescue Metals Group chief executive and current Perth Airport chairman Mr Nev Power has been appointed to lead the Commission as Chairman.
Mr Power said he stepped up to this role because Australia, more than ever, needs to focus on “minimising and mitigating the impact of the coronavirus on our businesses, on our communities, on our people”.
“And that’s for the preservation of jobs as much as we possibly can, given the constraints that we have around the restrictions from the coronavirus,” he said.
Mr Power said his role will be “looking for those problems” and opportunities to bring businesses together to solve them.
Greg Combet (ME Bank Director), Paul Little (former Toll Holdings Managing Director), Catherine Tanna (Energy Australia Managing Director), David Thodey (CSIRO Chairman) and Jane Halton AO (Non-Executive Director Crown Resorts) have been appointed to the Commission.
In addition, Secretaries of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Mr Philip Gaetjens and Home Affairs, Mr Mike Pezzullo have also been appointed to the Commission. Further appointments will be made, particularly in the not-for-profit sector.
Actions and recommendations provided by the Commission will be guided by the best possible medical advice, while putting the economic and social wellbeing of all Australians front and centre of the response.