Victoria's Premier has apologised after police confirmed they were reviewing footage of Daniel Andrews approaching journalists outside Parliament without a face mask.
Key points:
- Mr Andrews confirms he was not wearing a mask as he approached two media conferences this week
- Police are reviewing the footage to assess whether a breach of COVID-19 rules occurred
- Mr Andrews says he will "of course" pay a fine if it is issued, or donate the same amount to charity if he is not
"Victoria Police are currently assessing a video circulating on social media of Premier Daniel Andrews walking across a car park in Melbourne without a mask on 7 October," a spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said they would not comment further as the investigation was ongoing.
The footage was taken as Mr Andrews arrived at Parliament yesterday morning, and he immediately started fielding questions from the media before heading into the building.
All Victorians over age 12 must wear a face mask when leaving their home and must wear them in both indoor and outdoor settings, unless they have an exemption.
Politicians and journalists are exempt from wearing masks while working to respond to questions at press conferences or communicate over broadcast mediums.
People who do not wear a face mask when required and do not have a lawful exemption can be fined $200.
"I am aware that as I approached two press conferences at the back of parliament house this week I removed my mask after leaving the car, before I walked to the back doors," Mr Andrews said in a statement.
"I expect Victoria Police to assess this and if they choose to issue a fine, of course I will pay it.
"If they do not issue a fine I will donate the same value to a charity working to support people in this pandemic because whilst this was an oversight, oversights matter — everyone needs to follow the rules and I am sorry it occurred."
AAP: James Ross
)Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said the Premier should be fined if he did not have a legitimate excuse for not wearing a mask.
"Under the Chief Health Officer's rules, that is an offence," he said.
"I hope the Premier, like every other Victorian who is caught without a mask, faces the full force of the law.
"If he's walked some distance and he's done it in front of the media, it's probably a bit silly, but I will leave it to the police to determine as to whether or not he's going to get a fine."
Treasurer Tim Pallas said he was aware of the police investigation, saying "we'll leave it at that and let the police do their work".
"Might I say that the Premier's been pretty diligent in terms of his behaviour," Mr Pallas said.
"I had a brief look at the footage and it looks like he's been approaching a camera … of course, you're allowed not to wear your mask [in that setting]."
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2021-10-08 00:51:41Z
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