Outgoing chief health officer Brett Sutton named Victorian of the Year

Outgoing CHO Brett Sutton has been named Victorian of the Year, revealing not only that he wanted to decline the award – but that he is “profoundly sorry” for some of his decisions.

Brett Sutton wins the Victorian of the Year Award. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Outgoing chief health officer Brett Sutton has been named as Victorian of the Year.

Professor Sutton, who this month resigned from the top job as chief health officer, was awarded the gong as part of the Victoria Day Council Awards ceremony at Melbourne Town Hall on Friday.

Prof Sutton acknowledged that many people would dispute him getting the award, saying he was “profoundly sorry” for some of his decisions.

“I’m symbolic of all those difficult things we had to steer through as Victorians, and the tough times brought us together … I obviously was a captain of the ship during stormy weather,” he said.

“I understand that through those tough decisions there are always people who are going to be in much more difficult circumstances.”

“I’m profoundly sorry for what people have gone through because of those decisions, I’m not sure I could have made much different (decisions) through all of those difficult choices.”

Asked his first reaction to being told of the award, Prof Sutton said: “I heard it through my office and I did say, ‘Can I decline?’ because I really didn’t feel like it was something for me to receive individually.”

“If I can frame it as … a recognition of all Victorians then I’m very happy to receive it on their behalf.”

Prof Sutton has taken up a new role with the CSIRO. Picture: David Crosling

Speaking at the ceremony, former Labor premier John Brumby said Prof Sutton had shown great leadership.

“(He) was unquestionably the right person to perform one of the most difficult jobs at one of the most difficult times of our history, and he’s a very worthy Victorian of the Year,” he said.

But state Opposition frontbencher David Davis, who also attended, told the Herald Sun that Prof Sutton had presided over a “very nasty trifecta” during the pandemic.

“The world’s longest lockdown, the highest death rate in Australia and the most secretive government in Australia,” he said.

“He is part of the cover up of key information, and sadly, so many businesses were destroyed because of the mismanagement of Covid and the monumental cock-ups with hotel quarantine.”

Former premier Jeff Kennett said Prof Sutton would have felt the heat during his time at the top.

“I can’t think of an individual who was perhaps under more pressure than Brett Sutton during Covid,” he said.

“He was under pressure from the public, the media and of course his political masters, and it must have been a very difficult personal situation for him.

“He would have discharged his duties as best he knew how to, so the fact that he’s been recognised would be highly appropriate.”

Prof Sutton was appointed to the chief health officer role in 2019 and led the state through the Covid pandemic, issuing health advice to Victorians throughout several brutal lockdowns.

He became the face of Victoria’s Covid recovery, working with Premier Daniel Andrews to lead the state through the tumultuous period.

He worked with the Premier to instil one of the world’s longest lockdowns, imposing some of the harshest Covid restrictions at the time.

Those restrictions, which included banning Melburnians from leaving their homes between the hours of 8pm and 5am, have been widely condemned and criticised in the post-pandemic years.

He was also responsible for overseeing strict travel restrictions, which saw Melburnians limited to travelling no more than five kilometres from their homes.

He also urged the Premier to order Victorians to limit outdoor exercise to one hour per day.

Prof Sutton, who recently acknowledged he held regrets over the handling of the Covid pandemic, will soon join the CSIRO as director of health and biosecurity.

Previous winners of the award include Kevin Sheedy and before that Neale Daniher, Susan Alberti, Mike Brady, Dr Alan Finkel, Judith Durham and Ron Barrassi.

Trustees of the Victoria Day Council – a private not-for-profit organisation – choose the winner each year.

The trustees comprise some previous winners of the award.

The council is separate from the higher profile and government-backed Australia Day Council and awards which award a Victorian Australian of the Year.

Its 2023 award was received by paediatrician and co-founder of Health Awareness Society of Australia Dr Angraj Khillan.

Chairman of the Victoria Day Council, Marissa Barter-Waters, thanked Prof Sutton for his “contribution to the community”.

“The Victoria Day Council recognises people in the community that have gone above and beyond their contribution to the community within Victoria,” she said.

“On behalf of the Victoria Day Council, I thank them and congratulate them on their truly outstanding achievements and the great work they have done, I am thrilled they have been recognised in this way.”

Other award winners included Madeleine Butcher, who was named as Young Victorian of the Year.

The Victoria Day Award for the Arts went to the Castlemaine Art Museum, and the Victorian Women’s Trust was also recognised for their service.

Visy Industries was awarded as a Good Corporate Citizen.

Originally published as Outgoing chief health officer Brett Sutton named Victorian of the Year