Victoria’s opposition wants to re-open hotel quarantine inquiry’s evidentiary phase - NEWS.com.au

The Victorian Premier and his former Health Minister would re-appear before the state’s hotel quarantine inquiry to give new evidence if the Shadow Attorney-General gets his way.

Edward O’Donohue has written a letter to the inquiry chair, Jennifer Coate, demanding Daniel Andrews and Jenny Mikakos are given a chance to straighten out perceived inconsistencies in their evidence.

Mr Andrews and MS Mikakos gave evidence to the inquiry last week before the evidentiary phase wrapped up.

The Premier told the inquiry Ms Mikakos was responsible for the program that saw COVID-19 escape from hotel quarantine and effectively spark a second wave.

RELATED: Follow our latest coronavirus updates

Ms Mikakos resigned the day after Mr Andrews’ testimony. In a statement on social media, she said she “never wanted to leave a job unfinished”.

“But in light of the Premier’s statement to the board of inquiry and the fact that there are elements in it that I strongly disagree with, I believe that I cannot continue to serve in this Cabinet,” she said.

In his letter to Ms Coate, seen by news.com.au, Mr O’Donohue said the inquiry should hear more from both parties after several government departments submitted documents to the inquiry after all witnesses had given evidence.

“The Government’s late submission … following the conclusion of scheduled witness hearings, is disrespectful to the inquiry, is inexplicable given the resources at the Government’s disposal and compromises the inquiry’s work,’’ Mr O’Donohue wrote.

He said the Premier’s “last minute change of heart” requires further scrutiny.

“After telling reporters on Thursday that Ms Mikakos had his full confidence, Mr Andrews said on Saturday that the Health Minister’s resignation was the appropriate decision,” Mr O’Donohue wrote.

“There is an evidential conflict between arguably the two most important decision makers in the hotel quarantine inquiry.”

The inquiry is unlikely to re-open to witnesses after closing that particular phase.

The inquiry is yet to deliver its findings into Victoria’s disastrous hotel quarantine program. On Friday, counsel assisting the inquiry Ben Ilhe said the inquiry could “comfortably find that the hotel quarantine program in Victoria failed to achieve its primary objective” to contain COVID-19.

He said hotels had become “a feeding ground for the spread of COVID-19 into the community”.

“The failure by the hotel quarantine program to contain this virus is today responsible for the deaths of 768 people, and the infection of some 18,490,” Mr Ihle said.

Victoria recorded 13 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday and four more deaths. The death toll has climbed to 798.

It comes as Victorians re-emerge from harsh lockdown rules and a curfew, which had been in place for months, was revoked.

New rules replace the curfew, including a $4957 fine for people who gather indoors or outdoors in breach of the five-person rule.

Five people from two households can gather together but restrictions preventing Melburnians travelling 5km from their home remain in place until at least October 19.

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2020-09-30 01:08:22Z
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