Coronavirus: Harbourmaster ‘didn't understand’ critical email, Ruby Princess inquiry hears

During a grilling by Bret Walker SC, a senior harbourmaster revealed he ‘didn’t understand’ a critical Ruby Princess email.

Cameron Butchart, who was the duty harbourmaster for the NSW Port Authority on 18 March, left, and the Ruby Princess.

A senior NSW harbourmaster has told the special inquiry into the Ruby Princess he “did not understand” the contents of a critical email that revealed fifteen cruise ship passengers had been tested for COVID-19 when the ship sailed into Sydney Harbour on March 18.

Cameron Butchart, who was the duty harbourmaster for the NSW Port Authority on 18 March, said an assessment by NSW Health that the ship was “low risk” for COVID-19 meant he had assumed the “Ruby Princess was fine”.

“I took it to mean it was low risk and great NSW Health had this in hand,” he told the inquiry on Friday.

The commission heard that the NSW Ports Authority had previously introduced a policy designed to weed out any potential COVID-19 cases by treating all “unknown” results of COVID-19 tests taken on-board cruise ships as if they were “positive.”

The Ruby Princess, now anchored in Manila, Philippines. Picture: AP

The commissioner, Bret Walker SC, asked Butchart why he failed to follow a “procedure stipulated the day before” to handle the arrival of two other cruise ships, the Artania and Magnifica, and to treat the Ruby Princess as if it had been carrying “positive” passengers.

“Could you explain, firstly, whether you treated the Ruby Princess as if it had a positive result, and if you didn’t, why?”

Mr Butchart replied: “I don’t know if it’s an error on my behalf or if I misread the email,” he said. “I looked at that email very quickly and thought terrific NSW Health had this in hand … I understood 15 swabs had been taken (and) I forgot to relay that to the pilot.”

Commissioner Walker continued to grill Mr Butchart on why he had failed to give more credence to an email from NSW Health officials that revealed it was possible at least 15 passengers on the Ruby Princess could have been COVID-19 positive.

“There would have been few emails as important as this,” Commissioner Walker said. “You appreciate as a matter of ordinary English (and) probability that something that has a low risk of occurring or chance can still occur, can’t it?” “Yes”, Butchard replied.

Commissioner Walker also asked Mr Butchart whether the “label low-risk had introduced an unfortunate element in your decision-making?”, and Butchart agreed that it had.

Counsel assisting, Richard Beasley SC, added that it should be mentioned Mr Butchart did have enough concern over the health of the ship to “cancel the booking” of the Ruby Princess to dock at Sydney Harbour. That decision, however, was later reversed.

Meanwhile, during the opening of the inquiry’s fifth and final day, Commissioner Walker said the Prime Minister had not tried to “influence” the way he ran the independent probe into the cruise ship’s arrival.

Earlier this week, Scott Morrison urged Commissioner Walker to “reflect” on his “aggressive” line of questioning directed at a senior NSW Health official after she broke down in tears while giving evidence.

Commissioner Walker said commentary may have created “an unfortunate misunderstanding that the Prime Minister intended to make representations, submissions or suggestions to me about the conduct of this independent inquiry without meaning in any way to be charitable,” he said.

“I couldn’t possibly take seriously the suggestion that the Prime Minister intended to do that,” he said.