Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton says Victoria’s deputy chief health officer should be stood down after she compared the arrival of Captain Cook to the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.
“Sudden arrival of an invader from another land, decimating populations, creating terror. Forces the population to make enormous sacrifices and completely change how they live in order to survive,” Dr Annaliese van Diemen tweeted on Wednesday – the 250th anniversary of Cook’s arrival.
Sudden arrival of an invader from another land, decimating populations, creating terror. Forces the population to make enormous sacrifices & completely change how they live in order to survive. COVID19 or Cook 1770?this morning that Dr Annaliese van Diemen should be stood down. “I think she should go. I think it’s pretty obvious in the middle of a pandemic the second highest medical officer in the state of Victoria should be concentrating on the people of Victoria and the crisis associated with COVID-19,” he said. “Instead she is off running culture war debates. I think she is unfit for that office and she should go.”The tweet sparked outrage from Victorian Liberal frontbencher Tim Smith, who described it as ill-timed, “culture wars crap”.“Captain Cook didn't invade Australia. He charted the east coast of Australia. “She is calling Captain Cook a virus. I mean, how ridiculous. Why would you say such a thing during a pandemic?"jumped in, describing Dr van Diemen as “a complete fruitcake”. “No wonder the COVID-19 rules are different in Victoria to anywhere else in Australia. We are being governed by hard left nutters,” he said. Dr Annaliese van Diemen made the comment on the 250th anniversary of Cook’s arrival. Picture: AAP/Scott BarbourBut Victoria’s Minister for Health, Jenny Mikakos, says Dr van Diemen was free to express her views. Picture: AAP/James RossOpposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier said the tweet was “divisive” and called for Dr van Diemen to step down. “The Deputy CHO’s comments are divisive. She holds a senior position giving advice to the Premier and ministers on COVID-19 that are impacting all Victorians. She should be impartial not political,” she said. But Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos stood by the health officer on Thursday, saying “angry MPs” should instead be focusing on the virus. “The Deputy Chief Health Officer is doing an outstanding job protecting Victorians from this deadly pandemic. Criticism from angry MPs is irrelevant to the fight against this virus,” she said. The Deputy Chief Health Officer is doing an outstanding job protecting Victorians from this deadly pandemic. Criticism from angry MPs is irrelevant to the fight against this virus.
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‘Cook or virus’ tweet sparks outrageVictoria’s Deputy Chief Health Officer is under fire after likening Captain Cook’s arrival to the deadly “invader” coronavirus, but some have jumped to her defence. COVID19
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