Daniel Andrews, Labor Government slammed over triple-zero report

Some of the biggest names in Victoria’s media have sunk the boot into the Andrews Government over a broken promise over the weekend.

The Victorian Government has been accused of trying to bury a damning report after promising not to do so.

The Daniel Andrews-led Labor Government revealed over the weekend that “failings” in the state’s triple-zero service led to the deaths of 33 people between July of 2021 and the end of May this year.

One call to Victoria’s triple-zero service in January took 76 minutes to be answered.

“The pandemic saw emergency ambulance call volumes increase from a pre-pandemic average of around 2,200 calls per day to nearly 4,000 at the peak of the Omicron surge,” Minister for Emergency Services Jaclyn Symes said on Saturday.

“I offer my deepest sympathies to those who have lost their loved ones during the pandemic.” 

The timing of the report’s release has been slammed after the minister previously promised not to release it on a Friday.

Specifically, Ms Symes said in August: “I’ll avoid a Friday afternoon (release), I give you that commitment.”

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Saturday press conferences - with most political/health reporters off work - tend to be minor announcements like unsafe product warnings, a couple of new trams or a new event

Today - new info about 33 dead Victorians, which was meant to be published during the week

Appalling https://t.co/kGSWStgpaI

— Paul Sakkal (@paulsakkal) September 3, 2022

Victorian political reporter for The Age newspaper, Paul Sakkal, wrote on Twitter that it was an “appalling” decision.

“Saturday press conferences, with most political/health reporters off work, tend to be minor announcements like unsafe product warnings, a couple of new trams or a new event,” he wrote.

“New info about 33 dead Victorians, which was meant to be published during the week. Appalling.”

The newspaper’s health editor Aisha Dow also chimed in online, noting that “we couldn’t reach anyone at the Coroner’s Court on Saturday, for a report detailing 33 deaths”.

“This is because they work (Monday to Friday) and another reason why a weekend release helps avoid scrutiny,” she wrote.

She said the government “had the report from August 5” but waited almost a month to release it.

The Australian’s Rachel Baxendale wrote: “Andrews government chose the Thursday before the federal election to release the last damning report on the Triple Zero system. Now they’ve opted for a Saturday morning in the middle of footy finals.”

7News journalist Sharnelle Vella questioned when the Premier was going to talk about the issue after he shared an update on Instagram about new train stations opening.

“I know the State Govt would be keen to move away from the weekend’s ESTA report.. but the Premier’s social media account putting out a play on ‘next top model’ in regards to new station announcements feels slightly odd… given we are yet to hear from him on the report,” she wrote.

I know the State Govt would be keen to move away from the weekend’s ESTA report.. but the Premier’s social media account putting out a play on ‘next top model’ in regards to new station announcements feels slightly odd… given we are yet to hear from him on the report. pic.twitter.com/EU7V0IXDSa

— Sharnelle Vella (@SharnelleVella) September 5, 2022

ABC Mornings host Virginia Trioli started her show on Monday asking why the government released the report on Saturday morning.

“The government’s not available to talk to this damning report on the show today after releasing it to the public when very few people would have been paying attention,” she said. “So where is scrutiny and accountability in the state of Victoria these days?”

She was particularly scathing of Ms Symes given she had promised to give the report the airtime it deserves.

“Now last time in relation to the last report that was dropped just before the election, Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes assured everyone in August that she would not try to hide the next report,” she said.

“This report that was released on Saturday. She promised she would release it on a day when it could be properly scrutinised. She said in August and I quote, ‘I’ll avoid a Friday afternoon. I give you that commitment.’

Victoria’s ambulance service is under pressure.

“Well, she was true to her word. She didn’t drop it on the Friday. Instead it was released on a Saturday morning. Now why does that matter? Why does the time and day of the release of his report matter? Why does it matter that the premier wasn’t there to speak to it?

“I think it’s because accountability matters. Because being brave and facing into the storm, when your critical emergency services system has been found wanting, is the least the people who elected you can ask for if you behave like you have something to hide, then it appears as if you have something to hide or at the very least that you want to hide from in terms of the scrutiny.”

Speaking on Saturday, Ms Symes said Ambulance Victoria paramedics responded to more than 93,000 Code 1 callouts in the January quarter, breaking the record set in the previous quarter.