By Alex Crowe
Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton has resigned from his position with the Department of Health, taking on a new role outside government.
Sutton will continue his work in public health, joining the CSIRO as the director of health and biosecurity.
Appointed chief health officer (CHO) in 2019, Sutton led Victoria’s health response throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement issued Friday morning, the Health Department said details of the resignation were yet to be finalised, including a departure date and replacement details.
Secretary Euan Wallace said since joining the health department, Sutton had helped to develop a strong and responsive public health team, as well as providing critical health information and advice on a wide variety of issues and emergencies.
He said the experience would no doubt assist Sutton in his new role, where he would remain engaged in health and wellbeing at a national and regional level.
“It also provides a great opportunity for us to strengthen the partnership between our two organisations,” Wallace said.
“I want to thank Brett for his enormous contribution to this Department and Victoria – and wish him well for his new role.”
Sutton became a divisive figure among Victorians during the pandemic for backing some of the state’s most contentious restrictions, including the curfew and five-kilometre travel limit.
He served as an expert advisor to the government and as an executive decision-maker for the first two years of the pandemic, giving force to Victoria’s public health orders.
The pandemic provided previously unparalleled power to the CHO during the protracted emergency health order, giving Sutton the right to veto state government decisions.
New pandemic laws passed in December 2021 ended the CHO’s dual role by enabling the health minister to issue pandemic orders, returning executive power to the executive.
Premier Daniel Andrews said Sutton had served the state and guided Victoria through some of the most difficult times.
“As CHO, Brett helped keep us informed, and above all, safe,” Andrews said on Twitter.
“Thank you for your service, and all the very best for your next role.”
Sutton gained celebrity status among some at the height of the pandemic, inspiring fan pages and a strong TikTok following among a group of fans that dubbed themselves ‘Suttonettes’. A number of designers went as far as creating a range of pillows, bedsheets and other homewares featuring the chief health officer’s face.
After appearing before the media almost daily at the peak of the pandemic, Sutton has hardly been seen in public in his capacity as CHO in several months.
Former Labor MP and state health minister Martin Foley defended Sutton’s absence on Friday, saying neither he nor the Victorian government could be accused of being camera shy.
Speaking on ABC radio, Foley said Sutton would be remembered for his endless optimism and capacity for measured communication when responding to emerging COVID science.
“I think that message reassured millions of Victorians and inspired tens of thousands of our public health workforce to continue on in what was an extraordinarily difficult period,” Foley said.
“We all owe him a debt of gratitude.”
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2023-06-08 23:20:25Z
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