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Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the states and territories will be able to have their say on border closures and other key decisions when a new inquiry examines the response to COVID-19, amid fierce criticism of the government for focusing the review on federal issues.

Chalmers said there was nothing preventing the states and territories from joining the inquiry to consider their decisions, saying he did not accept claims it was a “light touch” exercise that should have been set up to investigate all aspects of the response.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

But NSW Premier Chris Minns said his government was yet to decide whether it would make a submission to the inquiry, saying he would speak to state health officials about this and did not want to demand anyone appear at public hearings.

The comments came after two days of attacks on the federal government for naming a panel of experts rather than a royal commission to look into the response to the pandemic under terms of reference that did not mention border closures, contact tracing, school closures or other measures that involved state governments.

“We’ve focused on the Commonwealth responsibilities because we’re a government that takes responsibility for the things that are in our wheelhouse,” Chalmers said when asked about the border closures on Sunday morning.

“There is nothing preventing the states and territories participating in this review. We’ve said that now for some time, for some days, since the review was announced. There’s nothing preventing those issues being considered.”

National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds told this masthead the inquiry should “put a spotlight” on the needs of children and the implications of the school closures, while former NSW premier Dominic Perrottet also said the impact on children was a key issue.

Australia reported more than 11.5 million confirmed COVID cases and almost 23,000 deaths from the virus from January 2020 to the middle of September this year, while the federal response cost taxpayers $291 billion.

The Greens have called for state decisions to be part of the inquiry and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of running a “protection racket” for the states by saying “unilateral” state decisions will not be considered.

Sky News host Kieran Gilbert asked Chalmers on Sunday morning why the inquiry was not set up to examine all issues given observers called the COVID crisis the biggest of its kind since the Second World War. “It does appear in my view light-on,” Gilbert said.

Chalmers said it would be broad and comprehensive.

“I’m confident that we will get all of the information that we need to learn the lessons from the past to inform the future, so that if and when Australians have to go through the kind of difficulties that they had to go through in recent years, that we’ve we’ve learned the lessons and we can do things even better in the future than we have in the recent past,” he said.

While Chalmers defended the inquiry by saying the states and territories could take part, Minns was cautious when asked if he would like the state’s chief health officer and former leaders – such as former premier Gladys Berejiklian – appear at public hearings.

“I wouldn’t like them to, I’m not going to make that demand of them,” he said.

“Obviously, if any of them want to make a submission to that inquiry, NSW would be happy to facilitate it.

“But I just hesitate because I’m not sure, I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to be issuing edicts to the previous government to front that inquiry.

“If they’d like to, I’m sure they will – otherwise, we will let them get on with their job.”

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said he would be happy to appear at the inquiry, while former Perrottet has also said he would appear if asked.

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