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Government ministers responsible for the bungled hotel quarantine program should resign, according to a new survey.
More than half of Victorians surveyed want heads to roll over the failed program that has been blamed for sparking Victoria’s deadly second wave.
It follows calls this week by the Health Workers Union for Daniel Andrews to sack Health Minister Jenny Mikakos who has been accused of “breathtaking incompetence”.
The Institute of Public Affaris poll, of more than 1,000 Victorians, found Victorians want Daniel Andrews and his government to accept responsibility for the hotel quarantine debacle.
It also found a majority Victorians believed the government mismanaged the coronavirus pandemic.
More than half, or 54 per cent, of respondents said ministers responsible for the program should resign, while one in five people disagreed.
A quarter of respondents had no view.
Daniel Andrews told the inquiry into the bungled quarantine scheme on Friday that Ms Mikakos was ultimately responsible for the program.
Asked whether the government had mishandled the pandemic, 48 per cent said they agreed, while 32 per cent disagreed.
One in five respondents had no view.
IPA director of communications Evan Mulholland said the poll made it clear Victorians wanted the government to accept responsibility for “the greatest failure of public administration in Australia’s history”.
“The lockdowns brought about by government incompetence have smashed small businesses, young Victorians, and those in the private, productive parts of the economy, while public servants and bureaucrats have received pay rises,” Mr Mulholland said.
“The Westminster system of government under which we operate means that ultimately, it is ministers who take responsibility for the actions of their office and the public service.
“The Andrews government has disfigured Victoria with more lockdowns to deal with the second wave unleashed by his catastrophic ineptitude with hotel quarantine and contact tracing. Someone has to accept responsibility for the irreparable damage this has caused.”
Opposition leader Michael O’Brien said called for a widespread resignation of ministers including the Premier.
“Victorians deserve better than lies and cover-ups from a Premier whose second wave of COVID-19 has killed over 750 people and cost thousands of jobs,” he said.
“Our communities and state economy have been crippled by the second wave.
“Andrews has failed his most fundamental duty to the people of this state. He must go.”
ANDREWS FLAGS POTENTIAL FOR EARLY RELIEF
Restrictions due to be eased in Melbourne at the end of October could be brought forward if infections continue to rapidly fall, Premier Daniel Andrews has flagged.
But authorities are closely following cases in the city’s southeast, with five of the state’s 14 new cases recorded in the cities of Dandenong and Casey.
Another eight people were added to Victoria’s death toll on Friday.
Asked what restrictions would be eased this Sunday, Mr Andrews warned major steps were unlikely.
But he said the current numbers meant Victoria was ahead of schedule compared to when he first announced the road map to recovery.
“We are very confident that we can take some safe steps,” he said. “The road map never envisaged really significant steps at the 28th but we are on track.
“I do hope to be able to talk a little bit more about how I think October will unfold and maybe give people some clarity around, because we are ahead of schedule, what might be possible.
“In the next month, as we move towards that next trigger point that may be able to occur sooner.”
Metropolitan Melbourne’s 14-day average has dropped to 25.1 and regional Victoria has fallen to 0.8. There have been 34 cases with an unknown source in Melbourne over the past 14 days, while regional Victoria has not recorded a case over the same time period.
Friday’s new cases included two people who are registered as living in regional Victoria.
But these infections were picked up in Melbourne and they have not left the city since, with the results not included in regional Victoria’s figures.
Of the 14 new cases recorded, nine were linked to existing outbreaks including aged care homes and Dandenong Police Station.
Mr Andrews said it was not yet clear if any new cases in the southeast could be linked back to a Hallam outbreak.
But he welcomed news that labs had processed 12,460 test results over 24 hours.
“That is another strong number,” he said. “Any symptoms at all, please get tested. Don’t put it off for a day
“We have got to keep the test numbers up so that the numbers that we get every day, as best as possible, are a true reflection of how much virus is out there in the Victorian community.”
ANDREWS ‘SORRY’ FOR HOTEL QUARANTINE FAILINGS
FAILED PROGRAM COST GREATER THAN TAXPAYER FUNDS
DAN THROWS MATES UNDER THE BUS
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiogFodHRwczovL3d3dy5oZXJhbGRzdW4uY29tLmF1L2Nvcm9uYXZpcnVzL3JvbGxpbmctY292ZXJhZ2UtdmljdG9yaWFucy1zYXktaGVhZHMtbXVzdC1yb2xsLW92ZXItYnVuZ2xlZC1ob3RlbC1xdWFyYW50aW5lL25ld3Mtc3RvcnkvZGUwYzYzMzcyZGViYWFlNDNlMDMyZWRhZDU1ZjFlMTHSAaIBaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAuaGVyYWxkc3VuLmNvbS5hdS9jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy9yb2xsaW5nLWNvdmVyYWdlLXZpY3RvcmlhbnMtc2F5LWhlYWRzLW11c3Qtcm9sbC1vdmVyLWJ1bmdsZWQtaG90ZWwtcXVhcmFudGluZS9uZXdzLXN0b3J5L2RlMGM2MzM3MmRlYmFhZTQzZTAzMmVkYWQ1NWYxZTEx?oc=5
2020-09-25 21:06:40Z
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