Rising tension in Labor ranks over handling of coronavirus
With authorities all but admitting Victoria is now in the midst of a second wave, tensions are rising inside the Labor Party, with some MPs concerned about how the coronavirus response is being handled.
VIC News
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Premier Daniel Andrews is facing growing internal angst over his handling of the coronavirus crisis.
Tensions are rising inside the state government after 75 new coronavirus cases were detected across the state on Monday the largest single increase since late March.
It comes as support for Premier Daniel Andrews’ handling of the pandemic fell sharply.
With authorities now all but admitting Victoria is in the midst of a second wave, Labor Party MPs are growing concerned about how the coronavirus response is being handled.
The government has come under intense scrutiny over its trouble plagued hotel quarantine system which has led to several outbreaks and dozens of positive tests.
It has also been accused of sending mixed messages in its handling of the crisis.
Critics have accused the government of being distracted by the damaging branch-sacking scandal that claimed three ministers and controversy over its CFA and fire services reforms.
“There is anxiety being expressed about COVID and CFA,” one MP said.
“There is an increasingly anxious edge to people on the Whatsapp group. You’d have to be a moron to think this is going well.
“We’ve pranced around but we haven’t done the basics.”
While 72 per cent of Victorians still believed Mr Andrews was handling the pandemic well, support for the Premier has slipped 13 points since April, a Newspoll conducted for The Australian revealed.
The number of Victorians who believed he was doing “very well” dropped from 52 per cent to 31 per cent, while those who thought he was doing “very badly” almost tripled from 5 per cent to 13 per cent.
It is also understood there has been significant infighting over the handling of the hotel quarantine system.
The government has been left scrambling for a solution to the troubled system after more than 30 new coronavirus cases were linked to two hotels.
Lax procedures have been blamed for security guards contracting the virus and some also spreading it to relatives.
Sources say eyebrows were also raised inside government last week over the Premier’s handling of a request for help from the Australian Defence Force.
After asking Prime Minister Scott Morrison for ADF support, more than 1000 personnel were set to join the Victorian coronavirus frontline.
The support was to include helping bolster the state’s hotel quarantine system.
But hours after announcing the move a revised request saw 850 personnel turned away without explanation.
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