Premier Daniel Andrews has apologised unreservedly to Victorians for mistakes made in the hotel quarantine program.
It comes after Health Minister Jenny Mikakos, Jobs Minister Martin Pakula and Police Minister Lisa Neville denied involvement in the decision to use guards, rather than the police or the ADF.
"No one is claiming ownership of the decision, even though no one seems to have spoken against it at the time and no one who might have been the decision-maker seems to suggest if it had been them, it would have been a bad decision," counsel assisting the inquiry Rachel Ellyard said.The inquiry has heard the decision was made on March 27, the day national cabinet announced the hotel quarantine program.
In his statement, Mr Andrews states Ms Mikakos and her Department of Health and Humans Services were primarily responsible for the running of the program. "At the start of the program, I regarded Minister Mikakos and Minister Pakula as responsible for informing cabinet about, and seeking cabinet's endorsement of, the initial overall service model and costings that had been determined for the program," Mr Andrews' statement reads.But he regards himself as"ultimately accountable".
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