Liberal MP KatieAllenMP says Victorian Premier DanielAndrewsMP is not facing accountability over his government's bungling of the COVID-19 hotel quarantine regime. More:
Liberal MP Katie Allen says Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is not facing accountability over his government's bungling of the COVID-19 hotel quarantine regime. Pressure is mounting on the Victorian government to come clean on why it hired security officers, instead of using police or the army, to lockdown quarantine hotels.
The Andrews government has so far shielded itself behind a judicial review to avoid answering tough questions about the debacle. Ms Allen told Sky News host Chris Kenny that Premier Andrews is “kicking the can down the road” with the judicial inquiry. “This is not about finger pointing, this is not about ‘heads must roll’ at this moment,” she said. “It’s about making sure that we know what went wrong with quarantine”.
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Pressure mounts on Andrews govt over controversial security guard links | Sky News AustraliaPressure is mounting on the Victorian government to come clean on why it hired security officers, instead of using police or the army, to lockdown quarantine hotels.\n\nThe Andrews government has so far shielded \titself behind a judicial review to avoid answering tough questions about the debacle. \n\nThe Coalition is pointing the finger at a cosy relationship between Victoria’s unions and its Jobs Minister Martin Pakula.\n\n“The National Union of Workers recently merged with United Voice who are the union that represents all the security guards,” state Liberal MP Tim Smith told Sky News.\n\n“So it is somewhat ironic the jobs minister in charge of hotel quarantine gives it to security guards that are represented by what is now his union.”\n\nFederal Liberal MP Tim Wilson told Sky News “you have a state government who is more interested in making sure companies that hire their union mates took precedence over the health of Victorians.”\n\nMore than 60 COVID-19 cases are linked to outbreaks amongst security guards from two Melbourne Hotels.\n\nMr Pakula refused an interview with Sky News.\n
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Daniel Andrews 'should lose his job for his incompetence' | Sky News AustraliaVictorian MP Tim Smith has called for Premier Daniel Andrews to lose his job for his 'incompetence' as the state's borders shut and Melbourne returns to stage three lockdown.\n\n'We're the only state in the country who has been put back under lockdown because Daniel Andrews completely failed to manage hotel quarantine,' he said.\n\n'He got bouncers in to do the job every other state got the ADF to do.\n\n'Now we're in a situation where businesses are being closed and the place has been turned into a ghost town.'\n\nMr Smith said he agreed with the Andrews government's response to the outbreak but pointed to Mr Andrews' failure to fine protesters as a catalyst to the surge in cases. \n\n'It is somewhat ironic the Jobs Minister for some reason was given control of hotel quarantine and gives it to private security guards that are represented by his union,' Mr Smith said.\n\nImage: News Corp Australia
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Andrews govt 'put Labor interests ahead of the public health of Victorians' | Sky News AustraliaLiberal MP Tim Wilson says the Andrews government was more interested in fulfilling internal interests of the Labor Party than protecting the public health of Victorians. \n\n“You had a state government who was more interested in making sure that companies that hired their union mates took precedence over the public health of its citizens,” he said in reference to the bungled hotel quarantine operation. \n\nMr Wilson said the Victorian government and Premier Daniel Andrews were “all power and no accountability”, and told Sky News “this is why people are so angry, because they have done the right thing and the state government has not”. \n\n“Essentially he’s broken the contract between the people of Victoria and the state government,” he said. \n\n“Under the contract, it was up to every Victorian to make sure we didn’t see a spread of the virus, only to see that the group supposed to be responsible for enforcing the law and making sure there wasn’t a spread, was ultimately the key participant in spreading it. \n\n“That’s why people are so angry, because it does seem pretty clear to everybody that there’s a direct link between the internal interests of the Labor Party and the state government at the expense of the public health of Victoria.” \n\nImage: News Corp Australia
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'We are all Melburnians now': PM offers support as Melbourne prepares for lockdown | Sky News AustraliaPrime Minister Scott Morrison has urged Melburnians to 'tough it out' as the city prepares for a six week lockdown starting from midnight.\n\nPremier Daniel Andrews has confirmed 134 new coronavirus cases in Victoria in the past 24 hours, 75 of which are from public housing towers across Melbourne.\n\nUnder the state's new lockdown measures - set to come into full force at midnight tonight - the state will remain closed for up to six weeks before the government considers easing restrictions.\n\nSpeaking to reporters ahead of the lockdown, Mr Morrison said the nation is completely behind Melbourne.\n\n'We will keep doing our job and I know Australians will keep doing theirs,' he said.\n\n'And right now, that job is if you’re a Melburnian, is to tough it out and it will be tough, but know the rest of the country is with you.\n\n'The rest of the country knows that the sacrifice that you’re going through right now is not just for you and your own family, but it’s for the broader Australian community. And I want to thank Melburnians.'\n\nThe prime minister said at this stage, the government does not believe lockdowns should be implemented nationwide.\n\n
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NSW govt flags tough new restrictions on travel, gatherings | Sky News AustraliaThe New South Wales government has warned it is prepared to enforce tough new restrictions on travel and gatherings as the risk of contagion grows, saying 'if the government has to take further action we will'. \n\nPremier Gladys Berejiklian issued the warning on Wednesday, telling residents, particularly those near the Victorian border, to stay home. \n\nShe also asked that all NSW residents refrain from visiting border towns “unless you absolutely have to”. \n\n“The probability of contagion in NSW given what’s happening in Victoria is extremely high, the probability that we need to be tougher on those border restrictions is extremely high,” she said. \n\n“We can certainly control what happens on our side of the border [but] we can’t control what’s happened on the other side of the border. \n\n“We are in a high-risk situation and I don’t want to see the good work we’ve done in NSW undone and I issue a warning that if the government has to take further action we will.” \n\nThe Premier also flagged potential changes to NSW gathering restrictions “to ensure additional safety”. \n\nImage: News Corp Australia
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