No apology for Daniel Andrews’ shameless spin

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews addresses the media at a press conference at Greensborough in Melbourne's outer north-east. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Andrew Henshaw

Daniel Andrews’ political hide, thick as a rhinoceros skin, was on show on Tuesday when he claimed Victoria’s “higher standards” of hotel quarantining as an excuse for limiting the increase in the state’s cap on international arrivals. NSW and Queensland, in contrast, are doubling their intakes of international passengers — mainly Australians coming home from living overseas — from Monday. Allowing our citizens to return is part of the nation’s return to normality. Mr Andrews mentioned several of what he said were “about 50” improvements to Victoria’s quarantine program. It needed vast improvement after last year’s tragic debacles that led to more than 20,000 community infections and 801 deaths in the state. Changes since then include overhauling airconditioning systems, ripping up carpets, putting down lino, cleaning “to industrial standards” and having staff COVID-tested on their days off, as well as every day at work.

Mr Andrews’ pitch did not pass muster, however, especially on a day when two more positive cases were linked to the Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport.

Two more positive cases were linked to the Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport on Tuesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Andrew Henshaw

They brought the total number of transmissions identified in the program in less than a week to five across three hotels. The new cases were a returned traveller and a food and beverage worker. Two new overseas-acquired COVID-19 cases were reported in NSW, which is taking half the nation’s quota of returned travellers. Asked how he could claim Victoria had “higher standards”, Mr Andrews brazened it out: “Well, I can say it because it’s true. And whether that’s convenient for people or not is not really my concern.” His real concern is politics. While NSW is doubling its weekly quota of international arrivals to 3010 people, Victoria has abandoned plans to increase its overseas arrivals cap from 1120 people to 1310 on Monday, following the five coronavirus transmissions reported across three quarantine hotels over the past week.

The state had agreed to the increase at last Friday’s national cabinet meeting, alongside NSW and Queensland each agreeing to double their caps to 3010 and 1000 respectively.

SA’s cap will go from 490 to 530, while even the insular and self-serving West Australian Premier Mark McGowan is keeping WA’s total at 512 for now as an “extra precaution’’.

So far, fortunately, the UK and South African variants of COVID-19 have not triggered community outbreaks in Australia. But constant hand-wringing by commentators and politicians claiming that newer variants of the virus are “highly contagious” and “superspreaders” are being widely accepted at face value. That is making it easier for Mr Andrews, never one to waste a good crisis, to get away with smug claims like: “We’re not going to go anywhere near the capacity that NSW has, or other states have, and I don’t make any apology for that. We will have less capacity because we have a different model and I lead higher standards.” That view is highly contestable.

The commonwealth is responsible for quarantine under the Constitution, as opponents of the government like to point out. On Tuesday, Labor frontbencher Kristina Keneally claimed Scott Morrison had got away with a “vanishing act” during COVID-19 by “pulling the wool” over Australians’ eyes and putting “risk management” of quarantining on to premiers. Senator Keneally is wrong on that score, as are vocal critics on social media echoing the same criticism.

Mr Andrews corrected the misapprehensions on Tuesday when he said: “I see some commentary today about ‘hotels aren’t the go and all that’. Well, that’s not the decision of national cabinet.” In March last year, national cabinet agreed that all travellers arriving in Australia would undertake mandatory 14-day self-isolation at designated facilities such as hotels. Those facilities would be determined by the states and normally would be in the city the traveller had cleared immigration. The requirements would be implemented under state legislation and enforced by state governments, with the support of the Australian Defence Force and Australian Border Force.

Subsequent events proved the standards of quarantine and its oversight can be the difference between isolated COVID hotspots and widespread deadly outbreaks. Of late, Australia has done well. But Mr Andrews, of all people, should know the virus is too serious an issue to be misused in a stupid game of political one-upmanship.