Daniel Andrews grilled over Novak Djokovic visa saga

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has been grilled over the Novak Djokovic saga after a judge ruled the world number one could play in the Australian Open.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has been grilled over the Novak Djokovic saga. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Luis Enrique Ascui

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has weighed in on the Novak Djokovic saga, after a judge ruled last night that the world number one would be permitted to play in the Australian Open.

The 34-year-old was detained at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport last week for not meeting Australia’s vaccination requirements, and subsequently had his visa cancelled.

After a sensational few days – and ample confusion about whether it’s a state or federal responsibility to grant a vaccination exemption – the Federal Circuit Court ruled in Djokovic’s favour, quashing the cancellation of his visa and freeing him from immigration detention.

At a press conference today, Mr Andrews, fresh from his Christmas break, was grilled over the farce, telling reporters whether Djokovic should be allowed to play in the Open was “a matter for the federal government”.

“The issue of who gets into the country and their vaccination status is not an issue for state governments,” the Premier responded, when asked if he stood by his statement last year that anyone who wanted to come to Australia as part of the tournament should be fully vaccinated.

Novak Djokovic will be permitted to play in the Australian Open. Picture: William West/AFP

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said it was a matter for the Federal Government. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Luis Enrique Ascui

“I don’t issue visas, the Commonwealth Government does that. There’s a court ruling, whether that’s appealed is a matter for the Commonwealth Government. If the Immigration Minister wants to use his extraordinary powers, that’s a matter for him.

“I don’t want to offer comment on that. I stand by our comments. We have not sought to, in fact quite the opposite, we have not sought to convince the Commonwealth Government to allow anyone else. Quite the opposite.”

While Victorian authorities were comfortable with granting Djokovic and other unvaccinated participants a medical exemption to attend the Open if they had previously been infected with Covid, Commonwealth authorities applied a more strict interpretation of the rule at the border after backlash to the news the vocal anti-vaxxer was headed to Australia.

Mr Andrews said the Federal Government “have been letting people in who haven’t been double vaxxed”, despite their previous position that nobody would enter Australia without having had both jabs.

“It requires a state government to sponsor that person, or support that exemption from being double dose vaccinated,” he added.

“So, the notion of exemption was a little different then and the position was a little different there, because there was the prospect that people won’t be allowed in at all unless they were double vaxxed.

“I stand by our comments. I was asked the question [at the time], would we be asking the Commonwealth Government to exempt certain people from the requirement to vaccinated. No. That was the answer then, that is the answer now.”

The Premier also defended criticism that the saga had sullied the reputation of the Australian Open, and, on a broader scale, Victoria.

“I think this tournament is much bigger than any one person. It’s much bigger than any one person,” Mr Andrews said.

“You know, I think that [Rafael Nadal] and a few others have made the position very, very clear. This is – this tournament is much bigger than any one person.

“It’s a grand slam, the biggest thing in tennis in the first quarter of the year, every year. It’s a massive event for us.

“And it’s bigger than any one person, whether that be, you know, in the court, or on the court. This tournament is much bigger than any one person.”

Originally published as Daniel Andrews grilled over Novak Djokovic visa saga