Andrews, Labor ministers not called as first witnesses in hotel quarantine inquiry
The inquiry into Victoria’s scandal-plagued hotel quarantine program has revealed its first witnesses, with Daniel Andrews and Labor ministers glaringly excluded — for now.
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The first witnesses to be called to Victoria’s hotel quarantine inquiry have been revealed and they don’t include Daniel Andrews.
In fact no government minister or departmental head will be called when the Hotel Quarantine Inquiry calls its first witnesses next week.
Instead three medical experts will be called to testify about the nature of COVID-19, infection control, epidemiology and contact tracing and genomic testing.
Genomic testing evidence is expected to reveal almost all, if not all, of Victoria’s second wave can be directly linked to the bungled quarantine scheme.
Professor Lindsay Grayson, director of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology from the University of Melbourne has been listed to appear first.
He will be followed by Professor Ben Howden, director of the Doherty Institute’s Microbiological Diagnostic Unit Public Health Laboratory and DHHS epidemiologist Dr Charles Alpren.
Key decision makers are tipped to be hauled before the $3 million inquiry to give evidence before former Justice Jennifer Coate.
The retired judge has warned she expects full, frank and timely co-operation.
The Premier today would not say whether he had been approached to testify but said he had indicated to Justice Coate that he would cooperate in any way necessary.
Contractors and government departments have been put on notice and asked to submit responses to the inquiry.
The Department of Premier and Cabinet, the Department of Health and Human Services, Victoria Police, Emergency Management Victoria and Ambulance Victoria have all been identified as central to the probe.
Mr Andrews and his senior ministers are set to be grilled over the government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis before a parliamentary committee next week.
The Premier will be the first witness called when the second sitting of the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee resumes its COVID-19 Inquiry later this month.
Health Minister Jenny Mikakos, chief health officer Brett Sutton and his deputy Annaliese van Diemen are also listed to be called when the committee resumes on August 11.
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