Jeff Kennett: Border chaos shows what’s wrong with virus response

Recent outbreaks show this year will again not be an easy one but we still must rise above the ruck, create opportunities and let Victorians back into Victoria.

Welcome to the New Year. May you enjoy good health and happiness throughout.

My column last week talked about 2021 being a year of uncertainty, and sadly it has started that way with COVID-19 re-emerging in NSW and Victoria, and freedom of movement within Australia being increasingly restricted.

But who ever heard of Victorians being turned around at the border when they are trying to return home? Victorians being banned from Victoria.

There is something very wrong, when those leading our response had plenty of notice that action was going to be needed, given the continuing challenge in NSW, that Victoria was not better prepared.

Again, we have mixed messages from the government with Acting Premier Jacinta Allan having her advice overturned within 24 hours. Did she not know, or was she badly briefed? Matters not. Those Victorians trying to get home again within the government’s designated time were left confused and in no man’s land, and many out of pocket.

Sadly, Jacinta Allan has developed a reputation as the “lead foot” minister. She destroyed the families within the taxi industry without so much as a blush at the destruction of their financial security, not to mention the mental health of those who had worked hard and honestly in the industry for decades.

Now as Infrastructure Minister, because of her cavalier approach and lack of credentials, every major project is massively over budget and years behind time. Who pays? We do, the long-suffering public of Victoria.

In fact, as all these projects are being paid for through increasing borrowings, the real financial burden will be paid for by our children and grandchildren.

Eric Petersen turned back at the border in Wodonga on January 2

Then when given the opportunity to act as Premier for a short period, she gets it wrong again.

God help Victoria if she ever succeeds Daniel Andrews as Premier.

As a member of the Gang of Eight that failed in professionally overseeing the hotel quarantine issue that caused our second wave and so many deaths and commercial losses, and minister in charge of every infrastructure project that is running off the financial rails, she is now providing inconsistent messaging during our state’s response to COVID-19.

You can be assured the Opposition will be delighted if Ms Allan is given the keys to ALP leadership.

That said, let’s hope we get on top of these latest cases quickly.

But to put everything in perspective, around eight Australians a day die by their own hand. Australia normally has well over 1000 deaths a year on its roads. As I pen this column, we have had 893 deaths from COVID-19, of which 820 have been here in Victoria.

Nor am I sure that any of the existing known cases are in hospital or in ICU wards.

So we are managing these new occurrences.

And manage them we must continue to do. We should know by now how to respond when a case or cases emerge. We should not be closing borders, which again disrupts so many in the community often with a great financial cost, again with differing emotional pains.

Hume Freeway check point on the Victorian side of the border near Wodonga on New Year’s Eve

To our medical staff who have been called from holidays to man the testing sites etc, we are again indebted. With so many exhausted, they more than most needed the opportunity to rest and recharge their batteries. But are now being recalled to service.

Part of life, I hear you say. Yes, but we should recognise their efforts.

It is just disappointing that we had not been better prepared than turning away our own citizens.

What is clear is that we are going to be confronted this year with many challenges. We should not be frightened about meeting those challenges head on. In fact, I would go somewhat further and suggest we must create new opportunities. We must rise above the ruck and build hope, activity, jobs and reputations.

Therefore, I wish to offer such a hope, a suggestion.

Last week Paul Bassat, one of the founders of SEEK, and now head of Square Peg Capital, a venture capitalist and investor, suggested we need to be more enterprising.

Well, in Cremorne, or Richmond to many, and where I have my office, I have seen over the last 10 years the entry of so many successful companies that use IT as the basis of their success. SEEK itself is about to relocate to Cremorne, joining MYOB, Carsales, REA, Domain, Tesla, not to mention numerous incubators where hundreds of young and not so young are trying to create and develop the next Apple, Microsoft and Amazon.

SEEK founder Paul Bassat suggested we need to be more enterprising during the pandemic

Also, in the area is Kangan TAFE, which provides courses in creative industries, such as fashion. This is important training for so many of our citizens, but does such a training facility need to be located in the centre of what is becoming certainly Victoria’s, and maybe Australia’s most concentrated area for innovation?

In every major centre of innovation around the world is an education facility, or two or three, that works collaboratively with co-located industries to help create goods and services that might find markets and demand throughout the world.

I would therefore propose a bipartisan group be formed, Bassat to lead it, with a representative from the federal and state governments and Opposition, and the leaders of those companies already in Cremorne to transform the Kangan Institute into a dedicated Institute for Innovation and Technology — an exciting new partnership between the private sector and governments.

It can be done. The benefits are enormous. We are already leading the world in so many areas of medical research through the Parkville precinct. Why not develop a recognised precinct for learning, research and innovation that will challenge Silicon Valley?

Let us lift our sights, not only for tomorrow but for the next 10, 20 and 50 years.

Of course, words are cheap — action is what is required. If I were Premier today, I would make this happen quickly.

Have a good day.

Jeff Kennett is a former Premier of Victoria