Patrick Carlyon: Lisa Neville should spend sick leave in Victoria, not tropical Queensland

When the person who is supposed to be in charge of Victoria’s hotel quarantine program is elsewhere, it’s a terrible look.

Stay Close, Go Further? Not for Lisa Neville, who enjoyed wine in sunny Port Douglas in Queensland while on sick leave. Picture: Brendan Radke

Port Douglas is lovely at this time of year. So is Port Fairy or Port Phillip Bay.

Police Minister Lisa Neville has been spotted sipping wine at a restaurant in Port Douglas.

She is on sick leave for Crohn’s disease, which is said to be exacerbated by stress.

When the person who is supposed to be in charge of Victoria’s hotel quarantine program is elsewhere, it’s a terrible look.

Her illness goes undisputed. But why wouldn’t she recuperate locally?

An ordinary person being spotted on holiday and having a drink while on sick leave would stand to be sacked.

Neville has taken three months leave for her illness. She need not stay at home throughout. But the pain inflicted on Victoria’s regions — in great part by poor decisions by the Andrews Government — should have influenced her choice of destination.

After Victoria’s lockdown hell, thousands of Victorian businesses would welcome her patronage.

Lisa Neville on leave enjoying wine in Port Douglas.

As a recent government tourism blitz puts it, “Stay Close, Go Further”. “It’s time to rediscover your Victoria.

From its creative, exciting city centre to its award-winning wineries, regional restaurants, spectacular coastline and foodie road trip destinations.”

Ms Neville obviously missed the memo.

Port Fairy has much fine dining. Port Phillip Bay, from Portsea to Queenscliff, buzzed last Sunday in the autumnal heat.

As the Opposition says, the choice of Queensland does not pass the pub test.

“The Victorian tourism industry has been smashed by Labor’s continued lockdowns and snap border closures, so we encourage people to holiday in our great state and support local jobs,” a spokesman said.

“The Labor government’s botched hotel quarantine is still on hold with millions being wasted on staffing empty hotels because they just can’t get it right.”

With Ms Neville in Queensland, and Mr Andrews laid up in hospital, the running of our state has fallen to others.

It follows the explosive resignation of former Health Minister Jenny Mikakos, after an inquiry which failed to lay blame for hundreds of avoidable deaths.

Have a wine for us, Ms Neville. Down here, we wear masks to shopping centres and lament the boarded up businesses in the central business district. We need a drink.

And keep in mind it will be a mostly sunny 29 degrees in Melbourne today, as opposed to a rainy 29 degrees in Port Douglas.

Maybe you should have stayed local, after all.