Coronavirus: Victorian health officer’s ‘Captain Cook or virus’ tweet sparks outrage

Yassmin Abdel-Magied has warned against history repeating as Victoria’s deputy chief health officer faces calls to resign over a controversial tweet.

Author and activist Yassmin Abdel-Magied has weighed into the debate over a controversial tweet posted by Victoria’s Deputy Chief Health Officer comparing Captain Cook to the coronavirus, warning “history need not repeat”.

Dr Annaliese van Diemen is facing calls to resign after likening the British explorer to the coronavirus on the 250th anniversary of his arrival into Botany Bay.

“Sudden arrival of an invader from another land, decimating populations, creating terror. Forces the population to make enormous sacrifices and completely change how they live in order to survive,” tweeted on Wednesday.

“COVID-19 or Cook 1770?” she asked.

Sudden arrival of an invader from another land, decimating populations, creating terror. Forces the population to make enormous sacrifices & completely change how they live in order to survive. COVID19 or Cook 1770?

— Dr Annaliese van Diemen (@annaliesevd) April 29, 2020

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton told Today on Friday that Dr van Diemen should be stood down.

“I think she should go. I think it’s pretty obvious in the middle of a pandemic the second highest medical officer in the state of Victoria should be concentrating on the people of Victoria and the crisis associated with COVID-19,” he said.

“Instead she is off running culture war debates. I think she is unfit for that office and she should go.”

But Abdel-Magied said she hoped Dr van Diemen would not be bullied in the same way she was, when in 2017 she tweeted “Lest. We. Forget (Manus, Nauru, Syria, Palestine …)” in reference to Anzac Day.

While the former Queensland Australian of the Year had quickly retracted the comment and apologised “unreservedly” for the “disrespectful” post, she endured months of backlash and online bullying.

Yassmin Abdel-Magied moved to London in 2017. Picture: Twitter

“I’ve spoken ad nauseam about the price I paid for a social media post n (sic) the betrayal felt when folks in power said nothing,” she tweeted on Friday.

“Folks have since said they’re sorry, they wouldn’t want that to happen again. Well, I sense an opportunity for ppl to come thru. History needn’t repeat.”

Folks bang on about free speech until it’s inconvenient for them.

— Yassmin Abdel-Magied (she/her) (@yassmin_a) April 30, 2020

Tbh, the challenge is engaging without feeding the fire. The way to do that is by reframing the entire conversation to the one that is about substance, and not the smoke and mirrors outrage loop others prefer.

— Yassmin Abdel-Magied (she/her) (@yassmin_a) May 1, 2020

Labor MP Richard Marles also said Dr van Diemen’s tweet was unhelpful, but did not say she should be sacked.

The tweet sparked outrage from Victorian Liberal frontbencher Tim Smith, who described it as ill-timed, “culture wars crap”.

“What's with the culture wars crap from a state health bureaucrat at a time like this?'” he said.

“Captain Cook didn't invade Australia. He charted the east coast of Australia.

“She is calling Captain Cook a virus. I mean, how ridiculous. Why would you say such a thing during a pandemic?"

Former state opposition leader Matthew Guy also jumped in, describing Dr van Diemen as “a complete fruitcake”.

“No wonder the COVID-19 rules are different in Victoria to anywhere else in Australia. We are being governed by hard left nutters,” he said.

Dr Annaliese van Diemen made the comment on the 250th anniversary of Cook’s arrival. Picture: AAP/Scott Barbour

But Victoria’s Minister for Health, Jenny Mikakos, says Dr van Diemen was free to express her views. Picture: AAP/James Ross

Opposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier said the tweet was “divisive” and called for Dr van Diemen to step down.

“The Deputy CHO’s comments are divisive. She holds a senior position giving advice to the Premier and ministers on COVID-19 that are impacting all Victorians. She should be impartial not political,” she said.

But Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos stood by the health officer on Thursday, saying “angry MPs” should instead be focusing on the virus.

“The Deputy Chief Health Officer is doing an outstanding job protecting Victorians from this deadly pandemic. Criticism from angry MPs is irrelevant to the fight against this virus,” she said.

The Deputy Chief Health Officer is doing an outstanding job protecting Victorians from this deadly pandemic. Criticism from angry MPs is irrelevant to the fight against this virus. #springst

— Jenny Mikakos MP #StayHomeSaveLives (@JennyMikakos) April 30, 2020

Others on Twitter said Dr van Diemen should be free to express her views on “historical issues”.

But Liberal backbencher James Newbury noted that the tweet was posted at 10:16am on Wednesday, “during work hours, when funded by the taxpayer”.

“The Public Administration Act requires that a public servant must be impartial, apolitical and behave in a way that sustains public trust,” he said.

Dr van Diemen was appointed as Deputy Chief Health Officer in November. She has worked at the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services since March 2016.