Ben Fordham tells Brad Hazzard to step down as Health Minister
One week after Brad Hazzard snapped at reporters to “move on” over the school Pfizer bungle, the Health Minister is being to take a break.
One week after Brad Hazzard snapped at reporters to “move on” over the private school Pfizer bungle, radio broadcaster Ben Fordham is saying that’s what the Health Minister should do.
“I think it’s time for Brad Hazzard to be given a break,” Fordham said on his 2GB radio program on Friday morning.
“People close to him have expressed their concern, he’s dead tired, he’s worn out and his temper keeps on flaring when he’s grilled at press conferences.
“When you stuff up, you’ve got to own up. With Brad Hazzard, it’s always someone else’s fault.”
Citing Covid-19 spreader incidents, including the Ruby Princess cruise ship debacle which resulted in 28 deaths, the Crossroads Hotel and limo driver cases, Fordham said, “What is the game plan?”
He said Mr Hazzard had “run out of energy and answers” and “it is unrealistic and unhealthy to have one man shouldering all of this pressure”.
Fordham questioned, “What landmines are laying out there which could bring us harm down the track? What can we do now to get the results we want next week?
“We need some fresh thinking.”
The call by one of radio’s leading breakfast broadcasters came after people began questioning Mr Hazzard’s response in a Sydney press conference last week.
The Health Minister was being quizzed about an error which saw precious Pfizer vaccines supplies needlessly given to 150 schoolboys from the exclusive St Joseph’s at Sydney’s Hunter’s Hill.
Mr Hazzard snapped at reporters: “You know what? The school intended it well.
“It was a mistake. And so what? It’s happened out of a million vaccinations.
“Move on,” Mr Hazzard said and stormed out of the July 7 conference.
Fordham said Mr Hazzard had started snapping back a few weeks ago “at reporters who were asking reasonable questions … on behalf of people who are fed up”.
“People in lockdown, people who want to know when is this madness going to end,” he said.
Fordham said of the lockdown and the NSW government that “the truth is they’re losing some faith at the top. They don’t know if they had a hold of this thing”.
Fordham said: “I don’t blame Brad Hazzard for feeling defeated at this moment. The virus is jumping containment lines.
“It’s moving fast and if we keep on doing what we’ve already done, we’ll keep on getting the same results.”
Fordham characterised Mr Hazzard’s response after each NSW outbreak as failing to act quickly enough.
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“Take the Ruby Princess. Unforgivable mistakes were made, 28 people died,” Fordham said.
“But Brad Hazzard refused to discipline anyone who thought it was okay to unload a ship that contained covid.
“He said they had his unwavering support. Loyalty is one thing, ignoring the evidence in front of you is another.
“Then there’s the Crossroads Hotel.
“When Victoria’s second wave was taking off, NSW refused to close the border.
“On June 30 last year, I told Brad Hazzard if the Victorian outbreak is imported to NSW, heads will roll.
“He didn’t like that, the Health Minister.
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“But would you believe, later that same day, someone travelled over the border from Melbourne to Sydney and dined at that Crossroads Hotel. The rest is history.”
Fordham then mentioned the case of the limo driver, who is believed to be “Patient Zero” of the Delta strain outbreak which has Sydney, and now all of Victoria in lockdown.
“Apparently nobody thought having an unvaccinated private driver picking up international flight crews from the airport could be a heavy risk,” Fordham said.
“The driver was not wearing a mask, despite his claims to the contrary. He was not getting daily swabs, he was unvaccinated.
“And police couldn’t punish him because the health orders were too soft.
“When I pointed out to Brad Hazzard that the health orders needed to be strengthened he said, ‘We’ll get on to that today.’
“But … it took them ten days to act. Ten days to fix the health orders.
“And speaking of too little too late, why didn’t we lock down the eastern suburbs when the problems started emerging there, like we did successfully on the northern beaches?
“Look where we are now. Millions of people in lockdown in Australia’s two biggest cities with no end in sight.”
Fordham sympathised with Mr Hazzard, saying he had “worked himself into the ground” and that he was unlikely to contest the next election.
When asked if he would take a break or a month off, Mr Hazzard told reporters, “We are all working to do what we need to do and we will continue to do that.
“We know what our capacities are and we are keen to keep working to keep looking after the community. I think the community know that too.”
Mr Hazzard, 69, has previously served as planning minister from 2011 in the Barry O’Farrell government, and Attorney-General and Justice Minister in the Mike Baird administration.
Fordham suggested a new minister could be brought in now ahead of the next state election which is due to be held in March 2023.
candace.sutton@news.com.au
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