Daniel Andrews’ suggestion stranded Aussies could be blocked from returning lashed as ‘despicable’

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has been slammed over a suggestion he made which has been labelled as ‘despicable’ and ‘cold hearted’.

Daniel Andrews has been lashed as “despicable” for suggesting stranded Australians could be blocked from returning home, as the idea drives a wedge between federal and state Labor.

Victoria was plunged into its third lockdown on Saturday after the highly-contagious UK COVID-19 strain leaked out of the state’s quarantine system.

But announcing the five-day lockdown on Friday, Mr Andrews flagged a “cold, hard discussion” on barring 40,000 stranded Australians from returning unless given a compassionate exemption.

The comments were at odds with federal Labor, which has accused the Prime Minister of abandoning Australians stuck overseas and demanded a beefed-up repatriation effort.

Liberal MP Tim Wilson lashed the of “denying Australians access to their own country”.

“It’s a despicable plan, a callous, and cold-hearted one,” he told the ABC on Saturday.

RELATED:‘Too late’: Andrews’ warning as Victoria plunged into lockdown after COVID-19 outbreak

Daniel Andrews suggested Australians could be barred from returning home unless on compassionate grounds. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ David Crosling

Tim Wilson lashed the idea as ‘despicable’. Picture: Hollie Adams / The Australian

“There are Australians who have been desperate to get back into the country, but have had flights cancelled all over the place. They have a right to come home.”

But Mr Andrews clarified on Saturday he was simply advocating for a “genuine discussion” over the best way to contain the UK strain.

“What I have said is that we should have a genuine discussion about how many people are coming back, the circumstances in which they are coming back, and can we make this safe?” he told reporters on Saturday.

“I would think that the Commonwealth government would surely want to be a partner in that, but I am not looking to handball the thing to somebody else.”

Federal Labor frontbencher Jason Clare earlier rejected the suggestion stranded Aussies could be blocked from returning, insisting to the ABC it was the “right of all Australians” to come back.

Labor health spokesman Mark Butler said delays for stranded Australians would “be on Scott Morrison’s head”.

He argued federal government was constitutionally responsible for quarantine, which was the “the biggest failing in our COVID response right now”.

Mark Butler says Australians are ‘fast losing patience’ over hotel quarantine, which is a federal responsibility. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

“These things are only happening because of a failing hotel quarantine system with which Australians are fast losing patience,” he said on Saturday.

“If (Victoria’s lockdown) means that Australians take even longer to get back home from overseas, that will be on Scott Morrison’s head.”

He said Mr Morrison had previously been quick to stress the Commonwealth’s role in border protection, but had “washed his hands” of the issue during the pandemic.

“It’s not acceptable for Scott Morrison to continue to duck shove his responsibility for managing our borders and keeping the community safe,” he said.

But chief medical officer Paul Kelly said on Saturday the states and territories agreed “from the very beginning” to run quarantine.

“(They) themselves actually at a National Cabinet meeting very early on said it should be the states and territories,” he said.

“That is where the public health system is run, that is (where) the various staff needed for this type of exercise (are).”

A COVID-19 cluster originating at the Melbourne Airport’s Holiday Inn quarantine centre grew to 14 on Saturday, and prompted calls to review the hotel quarantine system.

Professor Kelly claimed the hotel quarantine was subject to “constant quality improvement” but defended the system, which he said had repatriated more that 200,000 people with a “very small number” of breaches.

The federal government has resisted a push from Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to move quarantine to regional areas, but National Cabinet last week agreed to raise the international arrival cap.

Mr Andrews confirmed international flights to Melbourne had been suspended during the lockdown, a decision he said on Saturday was agreed to by the Prime Minister.

Victoria has been plunged into another lockdown. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ David Crosling

ADF troops have arrived to assist Victoria’s hotel quarantine system. Picture: Luis Ascui / Getty Images

Mr Wilson claimed a three-month lockdown in 2020, which also forced Melbourne Airport to close, was “half the reason” so many Australians remained stuck overseas.

“NSW has taken the overwhelming number of Australians returning home. They’ve managed to get hotel quarantine to work,” he said.

“The simple expectation is the Victorian Government could do the same.”

Australian Defence Force personnel arrived in Victoria last week to assist the state’s quarantine effort.

Mr Morrison in February confirmed talks over expanding capacity at the NT’s federally-funded Howard Springs quarantine facility.

Capacity was 850 arrivals per fortnight but Mr Morrison claimed it could rise “well beyond that”.

“We have got repatriation flights, where flights have been cancelled, particularly from significant destinations. We do have a Howard Springs facility that’s being used,” Mr Wilson said.

“So the Federal Government is working with the states to fill the gap, but they have to be able to support and work with us as well.”