Police lay hotel quarantine blame at Andrews’ office door
Victoria Police say Daniel Andrews’s office bears responsibility for using private security in hotel quarantine, an explosive submission to the inquiry into the botched program reveals.
Victoria
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Victoria Police has laid the blame for the use of private security in quarantine hotels squarely at Premier Daniel Andrews’ door.
In an explosive closing submission to the inquiry probing the flawed program, the force said they were advised private security would be used within six minutes of former Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton contacting Mr Andrews’ top bureaucrat Chris Eccles.
They also referenced text messages between the Department of Premier and Cabinet and Mr Andrews’ private office, sent about 1.20pm on March 27 as details of the quarantine program were emerging.
The submission does not directly accuse any individual of telling Mr Ashton private security would be used, but asserts “someone” gave him the information within minutes of his text to Mr Eccles seeking information.
Victoria Police again insisted they had not made the decision to use private security, highlighting a text the former chief commissioner sent to AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw minutes after contacting Mr Eccles.
The text advised Mr Kershaw private security would be used, with Mr Ashton saying shortly after that it was “part of a deal set up by our DPC.’’
“It is evident that between 1:16pm and 1:22pm (on March 27) someone had given information to CCP Ashton of arrangements to use private security, although he could not recall who gave him that information or advice,’’ the submission stated.
Mr Eccles has denied that he made the decision to use private security, and his phone records show he did not call Mr Ashton back after the text.
While Mr Eccles gave evidence he would ordinarily respond to a contact from the then-chief of police, he said he had not asked any of his colleagues if they had contacted him on Mr Eccles’ behalf.
In their aggressive response to the board, Victoria Police noted Mr Eccles’ evidence and pointedly referenced the fact the DPC and Mr Andrews’ private office had communicated about “security’’ about the same time.
“At 1:19pm, a staff member from the Premier’s Private Office (PPO) sent a text message to Mr Ada, Deputy Secretary (DPC), referring to “security”…’’ the submission notes.
“Relevantly, these communications were ongoing at a time prior to any input being sought from Victoria Police. They were ongoing even before the Premier’s announcement (which referred to private security), a few hours later.”
The legal team for Rydges on Swanston, the hotel where the first coronavirus outbreak occurred, also said the evidence showed Mr Ashton had been told the Department of Premier and Cabinet made the decision to use private security.
“A positive decision from within the Department of Premier and Cabinet is directly supported by the contemporaneous evidence,” the hotel’s submission says.
The submission references the message Mr Ashton sent to Mr Kershaw about private security being used, and states: “On the evidence, he can only have arrived at that understanding between 1:16pm and 1:22pm.’’
“The evidence demonstrates, quite plainly, that someone told Mr Ashton between 1:16pm and 1:22pm that the use of private security had been decided by the Department of Premier and Cabinet. That is unambiguously confirmed in his contemporaneous text message,’’ Rydges said.
“Two hours later, at 3:15pm, the Premier announced that private security would be used. The Premier, like Mr Ashton, knew at that stage that the decision to use private security had been made.’’
Mr Andrews gave evidence to the inquiry he did not know who made the decision, or why he had mentioned private security in his press conference that day.
In its submissions, the Department of Premier and Cabinet again denied involvement in the decision to use private security.
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