Confusion on beaches and hotels led to wrong coronavirus evidence

Andrew Crisp blames his incorrect evidence on confusion whether he briefed Police Minister Lisa Neville about beach security or hotels.

Victorian Police Minister Lisa Neville Minister for Police and Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp. Picture: AAP

Confusion over beaches and hotels­ has been blamed for the admission by Victoria’s emerg­en­cy chief’ that he mistakenly told a parliamentary committee three times that he briefed his minister on the establishment of the government’s deadly quarantine program.

Emergency Management Com­missioner Andrew Crisp wrote to the Victorian parliament’s public accounts and estim­ates committee on October 5 seeking to correct his evidence that he had repeatedly briefed Police Minister Lisa Neville on March 27 and 28 about the hotel quarantine program.

His office has now confirmed to The Australian that the veter­an police officer and emergency chief later checked his records, which confirmed he had briefed Ms Neville — but on beach secur­ity, not hotel quarantine.

An Emergency Management Victoria spokesman said there was a legislative requirement for Mr Crisp to brief the minister in the event of an emergency or impending­ emergency, and that on March 27 and 28 there was concern over the number of ­people congregating on beaches and increasing the risk of corona­virus transmissions.

He said Mr Crisp was in close and regular contact with Ms Neville during the 48-hour period, briefing her about the impending risk to community safety and proposed response, which include­d closing beaches.

It took six weeks for Mr Crisp to write to the Labor-chaired PAEC to correct his evidence: it released his letter under the cover of the October 6 federal budget.

In his testimony to the committee on August 26, Mr Crisp was twiced asked by Liberal MP Richard Riordan if he had briefed Ms Neville on hotel quaran­tine.

Mr Riordan first asked: “So … something as significant as organi­sing hotel quarantine, you would have sent information to the Premier and crisis cabinet on that … I presume?’’

Mr Crisp responded: “On that particular issue, as we are ­probably all well aware, it was stood up very quickly. We had 36 hours from the time of the announcement for that operation to be stood up at midnight on 28 March and again I was regularly briefing my minister as we were working through that particular operational plan.”

Mr ­Riordan next asked: “Did you discuss with your minister after that meeting the options … for hotel quarantine?”

He replied: “I briefed my minister regularly throughout that day with regard to how the plan was being developed and who was going to be taking responsib­ility for … parts of that plan.”

Responding to a third question, from Nationals MP Danny O’Brien, Mr Crisp said: “I briefed my minister regularly throughout that day as to what was being planned.”

Mr Crisp released a statement saying: “Following my appearance at the PAEC inquiry, I was provided with the opportunity to verify the draft transcript of those proceedings.

“Having thoroughly considered the transcript, I identified what I believe are discrepancies and, appropriately, I have chosen­ to correct the record to ensure it is accurate.”