What happened on Monday at the inquiry into the Andrews government's ill-fated hotel quarantine program
Text messages at the most senior levels of the Andrews government’s COVID-19 response reveal that confusion and disorganisation over the use of defence force personnel in the ill-fated hotel quarantine program persisted until late June.
Ms Neville wrote back: “Not sure what they do at hotels given no one leaves!! And they have no powers”. She then suggested Mr Crisp should brief Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton before he appeared on radio that morning. Mr Crisp texted back: "Thanks – I think my minister has some idea of ADF and that's what we're discussing with Graham Ashton [the then-chief commissioner of Victoria Police] at the moment. Will call." Mr Crisp was in a meeting at the time with Mr Ashton and Ms Neville, in which he made two notes at the time: “ADF” and “private security”.
A submission to the Cabinet meeting on June 27 said hotel quarantine “demonstrated to be an effective mechanism for preventing and managing COVID-19 in Victoria”. By then it was known that outbreaks had occurred which were later revealed to have caused 99 per cent of the state’s deadly second wave of infections.
Evidence before the inquiry shows the request for 850 troops was one of a series of requests from Victorian government agencies in late June to try to bolster the failing hotel quarantine system. The evidence also shows confusion about what had been requested and by whom. “The decision to engage private security ended up employing thousands of people and costing tens of millions of dollars. Should we be able to say who made it, as a matter of proper governance?” Counsel assisting the inquiry, Rachel Ellyard, said.Mr Eccles replied that multiple agencies were involved and “no one of them is the repository of all information that goes to bear to the question”.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Restaurateurs plead to have their own roadmap to recovery heard by Andrews government | Sky News AustraliaFormer AFL footballer and bistro owner Paul Dimattina says the lockdowns in Melbourne are “devastating” and he and others in the hospitality industry are disappointed that what they’ve put forward is 'not being listened to”.\n\nSome of Melbourne’s restaurateurs and hospitality icons have taken it on themselves to band together to create their own roadmap.\n\nThey want to change the restrictions, they want to save jobs and they want to be at the forefront of getting Melbourne back up and going again.\n\nMr Dimattina told Sky News host Peta Credlin a survey commissioned by the Restaurant Caterer’s Association is showing around 60 per cent of businesses in Melbourne have said they wont be able to reopen. \n\n“At the moment, the one thing this has done is it’s brought us really close together,” he said. \n\n“We’re fighting for each other’s survival as well as for the broader industry.\n\n“We are working on a gold standard health and wellbeing plan that we would love to see … brought in.\n\n“We just need to have a seat at the table.\n\n“We believe that we can open in a real safe way sooner rather than later and we’d like to be heard a little bit more by the government and the bureaucrats that be.”\n
Read more »
MP Warren Entsch puts Andrew Forrest's Fortescue on notice over sacred sitesA new resolution to mining companies is asking for a halt to activities that may impact sacred sites until relevant laws are strengthened.
Read more »
Man shot dead by police on Queensland's Russell IslandA man was shot and killed by police this morning at Russell Island, east of Brisbane, superintendent Andrew Pillotto has confirmed. 9News
Read more »
Axe-wielding man shot dead by police on Queensland islandA man was shot and killed by police this morning at Russell Island, east of Brisbane, superintendent Andrew Pillotto has confirmed. 9News
Read more »
Concerns mount over Victoria's face mask shortage | Sky News AustraliaVictorian health care workers are being forced to ration their health care equipment as face mask supplies drop to alarmingly low levels. \n\nThroughout the state’s fight with the coronavirus pandemic, many frontline workers reported being unable to access necessary PPE. \n\nThe shortage prompted the Andrews government to encourage local manufactures to modify machinery in an effort to keep up with demand. \n\nNearly 3500 health care workers across the state contracted the virus. \n
Read more »
The crucial number that will release VictoriaVictorian Premier Daniel Andrews has hinted at the possibility of easing some lockdown restrictions as early as Sunday as the state recorded its lowest daily virus count in more than three months.
Read more »