Text messages between Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and his chief of staff, Lissie Ratcliff, reveal the two were discussing outsourcing elements of the state's failed hotel quarantine program to the private sector on the day the program was established.

A dump of evidence tendered to the hotel quarantine inquiry late on Friday revealed Ms Ratcliff was central in plans to implement the program. This is despite her claims the Premier's private office had "no involvement in any decision to engage private security contractors" she said in a letter to the inquiry published on Friday.