Invitation to media

Dear ,

You are invited to the launch of Andrew Laming's book Political COVID: How Australia's Leadership Played the Pandemic which will be launched by Vikki Campion. Vikki, who describes herself as a libertarian from North Queensland, is a columnist for the Daily Telegraph in Sydney. She is also the other half of the Barnaby Joyce political dynamo. To say she is influential is an understatement.

So she's an interesting choice to launch a book critical of the former federal government.

As Laming says about his COVID experience:

"In this new world of COVID prohibitions, there was little appetite for a measured approach. The political risk of criticism for an inadequate response was simply too great..

My view was that the precautionary approach justified going hard early, but once the science was available, we had to start being guided by it rather than by fear or political self-preservation.

State Governments as service providers didn't have a dog in the fight. It was the Commonwealth writing the cheques that did."

This will be an interesting evening and you can book by emailing me at graham.young@aip.asn.au and letting me know you are coming.

It will be held tonight at 6:00 for 6:30 pm in the offices of Compono, Level 3, 32 Duncan Street, FORTITUDE VALLEY Q 4006. Journalists are free, and you are invited to share a drink with the guest speakers.

Regards,
GRAHAM YOUNG
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR