Premier Daniel Andrews stands by Andrew Crisp despite sackable offence during hotel quarantine set up
Daniel Andrews says he retains full confidence in embattled Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp, despite him failing to brief Police Minister Lisa Neville while the botched hotel quarantine was being set up.
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Premier Daniel Andrews says he retains full confidence in Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp, despite him admitting to a sackable offence — failing to brief Police Minister Lisa Neville while the botched hotel quarantine was being set up.
Mr Crisp this week retracted evidence to a parliamentary inquiry that he “regularly” briefed Ms Neville during the program’s infancy on March 27 and 28.
“I have confidence in Andrew Crisp,” the Premier said on Friday.
“Victorians know Andrew Crisp is someone of integrity. He won’t be stood down.”
Under Victoria’s Emergency Management Act, Mr Crisp is required to provide “timely and up to date information” to his minister regarding major emergencies and how they are being responded to.
The act says he can be removed from the role for various reasons, including misconduct or neglecting his duty.
Mr Crisp is now under mounting pressure to stand down after flip-flopping on his evidence.
He submitted three witness statements to the hotel quarantine inquiry after forgetting a key meeting he had with Ms Neville.
He also appeared beside Ms Neville at parliament’s Public Accounts and Estimates Committee in late August, where he testified that he had regularly briefed the Police Minister.
This was contradicted by Ms Neville at the hotel quarantine inquiry last month.
In a stunning about-face, Mr Crisp then issued a clarification this week saying he in fact did not brief Ms Neville on planning for the hotel quarantine arrangements.
The Premier and Ms Neville have each denied influencing Mr Crisp in any way to make the clarification, either personally or through their offices.
An Emergency Management Victoria spokeswoman emphatically denied suggestions Mr Crisp had taken a period of indefinite leave this week.
It is understood a meeting of EMV staff was held on Thursday in the fallout of Mr Crisp’s clarification being made public.
The state opposition has called for Mr Crisp to be recalled by PAEC to be questioned further about his clarification.
“He must be required to answer for what he says he’s done,” opposition leader Michael O’Brien said.
“It just goes from bad to worse. Even if you were to believe Mr Crisp’s latest evidence, it seems that if he didn’t brief his minister, he was in breach of his own act.
“How can Victorians have confidence in an emergency management commissioner who didn’t brief his minister about the most important issue that he was facing.”
PAEC _ made up of five Labor MPs, three Coalition MPs, a Green and a Liberal Democrat _ will vote on recalling Mr Crisp when it meets on Monday.
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