Holding politicians to account

Talking the hind legs off a donkey is not the same as answering questions. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews’s press conference went for 90 minutes on Thursday. But the long-suffering public, living under virtual house arrest, under the stern eye of police in helicopters and bracing for economic hardship, were left in the dark by Mr Andrews on key issues. It was “not clear”, he said, who was in charge of the bungled hotel quarantine program. It was run by “multiple agencies and beyond that we can’t be certain, we can’t be sure, we can’t answer many of the very important questions”.

Which agencies, which department were they responsible to, which official, which minister? Did that minister let Mr Andrews, the boss, know as soon as possible about the seriousness of the outbreaks at the Rydges on Swanston and Stamford Plaza quarantine hotels and how they came about? Hiding behind the board of inquiry into the debacle to dodge basic questions will not wash. As retired judge Jennifer Coate, who is heading the inquiry, has made clear, there is no reason Mr Andrews or others cannot answer questions in public.

Well-established standards about public officials, including politicians, telling the truth and taking responsibility for their decisions and governance should still apply. With life-and-death issues at stake they should be more accountable than ever to the public during the pandemic. Twitter pile-ons claiming reporters were too aggressive in their questioning of Mr Andrews are absurd and miss the point.

Parliament is the main forum where answers must be given. But Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos ignored that convention this week, refusing to answer a single question about coronavirus. She promised written answers but these were not enlightening. On the question of whether she accepted responsibility for the quarantine program, Ms Mikakos said the board of inquiry had been set up. Yes, minister. We knew that.

In contrast to the obfuscation, medical chiefs who have become well-known during the pandemic are open, clear and to the point. On Friday, federal acting Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly was asked about a man in his 30s who died of COVID-19 in Victoria. His case concerned many people. Victorian politicians, citing privacy concerns, had refused to clarify the circumstances. But Professor Kelly revealed what people needed to know. The young man’s death was tragic and, yes, there were some comorbidities. Straight answers are reassuring. The public is entitled to them, crisis or not.