ANALYSIS: Hotel quarantine inquiry reveals a quagmire of blame and lack of responsibility
Victoria's devastating second wave of COVID-19 began with the bungling of the state's hotel quarantine system, but even after senior people have been grilled by an inquiry, it is no clearer who is responsible for the fiasco.
Premier Daniel Andrews has staked much on the inquiry, and next Wednesday he will appear as a key witness before former judge Jennifer Coate, the first serving Victorian premier to appear in front of a non-parliamentary probe in living memory.
Commissioner Crisp presented text messages to the inquiry revealing then police chief commissioner Graham Ashton told him he wanted private security guards to be used instead of police, during that all-important meeting on March 27. Previous evidence given to the inquiry from several witnesses has stated that private security was Victoria Police and Mr Ashton's "preference".
"I asked would police be [guarding the hotels] and he [Crisp] said: 'No, that'll be done by private security,'" Mr Ashton said.
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