Daniel Andrews moves to quash fall rumours with ambulance details

Premier Daniel Andrews has released his ambulance call-out information in a bid to quell false rumours about his fall.

Daniel Andrews has moved to quash malicious rumours about the fall that has left him off work for months, by granting Ambulance Victoria permission to release details of the incident.

The state opposition on Monday demanded the Premier answer a list of questions about the fall after rumours flared at the weekend about the true nature of the incident.

Labor MPs reacted furiously to any suggestion of a cover-up.

The Premier’s office has consistently maintained the Premier slipped and fell at a Mornington Peninsula property while getting ready for work on March 9.

Daniel Andrews at an announcement on March 4, just days before his fall. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Andrew Henshaw

In a statement released on Tuesday Ambulance Victoria said paramedics were called to a house in Sorrento on March 9 at 6.36am.

“Ambulance Victoria received a triple-0 call for an ambulance at 6.36am on Tuesday 9 March 2021 for a patient who had fallen on steps at a house in Sorrento,” the statement read.

“Based on information provided during the call, the case did not require an immediate lights and sirens (life-threatening emergency response) and the call underwent secondary triage.

“This triage determined that the case was appropriate for ambulance response, and an ambulance was dispatched from the nearest ambulance brain in Sorrento.

“The ambulance arrived at 7.01am”.

The statement said the patient requested to be taken to a local hospital “in order for the attending crew to remain within the area once cleared from the case”.

Ambulance Victoria had previously refused to release any details of the call out.

The only glimpses of the Premier since his accident have been on social media including getting a lockdown haircut from his wife.

Daniel Andrews has given a few short updates on his recovery.

Victoria’s opposition on Monday issued a list of questions regarding Mr Andrews’ fall.

In a statement, Shadow Treasurer Louise Staley detailed 12 questions for Mr Andrews, including the time of the incident, who was there, whether an ambulance was called and if police were contacted.

Labor MPs reacted furiously to any suggestion of a cover up, slamming the opposition for promoting conspiracy theories.

“This is the most vile and disgusting gutter politics we’re seeing in Victoria,” Mordialloc MP Tim Richardson said.

Tim Pallas labelled it a “disgrace” and called on the party to reflect on their approach to politics.

“I don’t think Dan Andrews drove the sub that took Harold Holt to China … he didn’t organise the fake moon landing,” Mr Pallas said.

“This is nonsense. We know it’s nonsense. It’s the sort of QAnon craziness that is peddled around the community to create an atmosphere of uncertainty.

“What happened to Daniel Andrews was an unfortunate, indeed a very serious spinal injury, that he’s recovering from. There’s nothing more to it.”

Andrews government Minister Shaun Leane was scathing.

“This is the worst opposition Victoria’s ever seen … this is a new low (but) they’re driven by hate,” he said.

Greens leader Samantha Ratnam said the Liberal Nationals are “not fit for office” and should focus on holding the government to account rather than “peddling conspiracy theories”.

But Ms Staley maintains she wasn’t playing at any “conspiracy theories”.

“The easiest way to stop any of these conspiracy theories, which I am not playing into, is for these questions to be answered,” Ms Staley said.

“They’re very simple questions … It’s just time that all this got cleared up.

“Daniel Andrews is a public figure. We all give up certain things when we become public figures and one of the things we give up is the right to absolute privacy. None of us have that anymore.”

She added that the Premier’s health was a private matter.

Opposition leader Michael O’Brien said it was “legitimate” to ask questions to establish facts.

“It’s simply a case of we don’t necessarily know the whole truth,” he said.

“I’m not suggesting for a second that anything the Premier’s office have said about the Premier’s accident or his condition is untrue. No one is suggesting that.”

Nationals MP Tim Bull said the questions should be relatively easily answered.