A COVID-infected truckie who lied to contact tracers should be hit with charges
A COVID infected truckie who lied to contact tracers should have been charged not hit with a $1600 fine. The penalty proves we are the wet lettuce capital of Australia, says Justin Quill.
Opinion
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There’s been a lot wrong with Victoria’s approach to the coronavirus.
One aspect has been the application – or at times non application – of our laws.
The revelation in recent days that the so called “Shepparton super spreader” was only fined about $1600 is gobsmacking.
This is a guy to whom substantial time was devoted by Premier Daniel Andrews in his press conferences.
You see, the coronavirus spreading truck driver was not fully candid in his answers to contact tracers.
He stopped over in Kilmore and Shepparton. But he didn’t tell contact tracers about his Shepparton stopover until it became clear others had contracted the virus.
That sparked virus fears in Shepparton causing a massive testing blitz and a lockdown.
At the very least, the truck driver endangered the lives of the three people infected.
But by not telling contact tracers about his stopover, he risked many more and a possible third wave in Victoria.
But in the wet lettuce capital of Australia, that’s only worth a measly $1600 fine.
Why not hit him with a conduct endangering life charge.
At the time, the premier said, “You don’t get in trouble if you tell the full story …. You potentially do get into trouble if you don’t,”.
I haven’t agreed with much the Premier has said and done in recent months.
But I agree totally with that approach.
The criminal law is not just there to punish. It’s there to incentivise behaviour.
There is nothing more important than having people be totally honest with contact tracers.
So I agree we should not fine people if they admit to contact tracers they have breached the rules.
They should get immunity.
But if someone withholds information or lies to contact tracers – we should throw the book at them.
Daniel Andrews appeared to agree with that approach when he made the above statement. However, as with many other inconsistencies in our approach to coronavirus, throwing the book at someone in Victoria appears to mean slapping them with a wet lettuce.
I fear until we starting using the full force of the law on people who are not honest and assist contact tracers, a third wave might be just around the corner.
Justin Quill is a media lawyer with Thomson Geer who acts for the Herald Sun.
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