Ambulance Victoria issues statement on Premier’s fall

The Victorian government has accused the Coalition of peddling “QAnon craziness” about the circumstances of Premier Daniel Andrews’ fall in March, and warned the Liberal Party was at risk of plunging into a “Trump conspiracy theory wormhole”.

Government ministers including acting Premier James Merlino criticised the opposition on Tuesday after shadow treasurer Louise Staley issued a pointed press release the day before calling for the Premier to answer 12 questions about his March 9 injury, including who called the ambulance and whether police interviewed Mr Andrews.

Premier Daniel Andrews, pictured in intensive care in March, is due to return to work later this month.Credit: Supplied

Mr Andrews narrowly avoided permanent spinal cord damage after slipping on wet stairs at a holiday home on the Mornington Peninsula. Scans later revealed he had fractured at least five ribs and had an acute compression fracture of the T7 vertebra.

In a statement on Tuesday, Ambulance Victoria outlined its involvement following Mr Andrews’ fall, after seeking permission from the Premier. Ambulance Victoria usually does not provide detailed information on individual cases, citing patient privacy.

It confirmed paramedics were called at 6.36am, dispatched at 6.47am and arrived at the Sorrento home where Mr Andrews was staying at 7.01am.

“Ambulance Victoria received a triple zero call for an ambulance at 6.36am on Tuesday 9 March 2021 for a patient who had fallen on steps at a house in Sorrento,” the statement said.

“Based on information provided during the call, the case did not require an immediate lights and sirens (life-threatening emergency response) and the call underwent secondary triage.

“This triage determined that the case was appropriate for ambulance response, and an ambulance was dispatched from the nearest ambulance branch in Sorrento under normal road conditions at 6.47am. The ambulance arrived at 7.01am.”

Senior government ministers blasted the opposition for a “disgraceful” line of questioning, accused them of peddling “QAnon craziness” and claiming the matter was a test of the opposition’s leadership on whether it plunged the Liberal Party brand into a “Trump conspiracy theory wormhole”.

“We are dealing with a global pandemic, for goodness sake,” Mr Merlino said. “I treat [the opposition’s questions] with the contempt that it deserves. This is more about how the Liberal Party treat people. No decency, no respect, they should be ashamed of themselves.

“I am honestly not going to spend much time on this. I think it is a disgraceful act by the Liberal Party ... They should be ashamed of themselves, quite frankly.

“You can’t put to bed conspiracy nutters and if the Liberal Party want to act disgracefully, that is a matter for them.”

In its statement, Ambulance Victoria said the Premier had asked to attend a local hospital “in order for the attending crew to remain within the area once cleared from the case”.

Paramedics, in consultation with Mr Andrews, determined Peninsula Private Hospital’s emergency department was the most appropriate hospital to treat the Premier’s injuries.

Ambulance Victoria issued its statement less than 24 hours after Ms Staley’s press release, in which she said the Premier “owed” Victorians answers about the circumstances of his injury. On Tuesday morning, she defended her questions and reiterated that the salaries of senior politicians who take extended leave should be cut to a basic MP’s salary, about $200,000 a year.

Shadow treasurer Louise Staley thinks it’s suspicious there is no footage of the stairs Daniel Andrews fell down. Credit: Jason South

“It’s months since this happened and yet nobody’s got footage of the stairs, nobody’s got really any idea where it happened,” Ms Staley said. “And this is a very visual world these days where we seem to have everything out there on the media, but not this.”

Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien backed his shadow treasurer.

“There’s no reason to suspect that everything that has been said isn’t true,” he said. “I think it is true, but it’s not necessarily the whole story, and it’s OK to ask questions.”

The Coalition has not provided any evidence to suggest the Premier was engaged in any wrongdoing, and instead said answers were necessary to quell rumours.

Treasurer Tim Pallas and Trade Minister Martin Pakula accused Ms Staley of peddling conspiracy theories fuelled by “QAnon craziness”.

“I think, quite frankly, it’s disgraceful,” Mr Pallas said outside Parliament House on Tuesday morning.

“I genuinely think in politics you get to fight for things you believe in, you get to stand for something, and ultimately the shadow treasurer, and by implication her party, think it’s an appropriate thing to trade in tinfoil-hat conspiracies.

“I don’t think Dan Andrews drove the sub that took Harold Holt to China, he didn’t recognise a fake moon landing … This is nonsense. We know it’s nonsense. It’s QAnon craziness peddled around the community to create an atmosphere of uncertainty.”

Mr Pakula said Mr O’Brien should slap down Ms Staley’s comments, and not appear to be backing conspiracy theories.

“It’s the sort of thing you expect to see from a QAnon, Trumpy, wing-nut ... not from someone who wants to be the shadow treasurer of Victoria,” Mr Pakula said.

“We’ve seen it in America – it’s not hard for a political party to go down a kind of Trump, conspiracy theory wormhole and get stuck there. And the only thing that stops it is leadership. These sorts of mad conspiracy theories are not worthy of a person who wants to be treasurer and a party that wants to be government.

“It’s a test for the opposition, and whether or not they’re going to be a fully-fledged conspiracy theorist party.”

Veterans Minister Shaun Leane said the Victorian opposition was the “worst” the state has ever had.

“They’re driven by hate,” he said. “They obviously hate the government a lot – but they obviously hate each other more.”

The Age last month revealed the family of trucking magnate Lindsay Fox had sought legal advice over whether to sue an obscure Queensland website that posted rumours implicating the wealthy family in the Premier’s fall.

Mr Andrews has issued only a handful of statements since his fall on March 9, and pending advice from his medical team, he is scheduled to return to work sometime in June.

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