Coronavirus: Daniel Andrews … let’s see those records and solve six mystery minutes, asks Peta Credlin

Sky News’s Peta Credlin asked Daniel Andrews some hard questions about the hotel quarantine saga on Friday | WATCH

Peta Credlin asks questions of Daniel Andrews on Friday. Picture: Penny Stephens

“Premier, I want to ask you a question, if I can.”

It was the moment Peta Credlin, former chief-of-staff to Liberal prime minister Tony Abbott, made her presence known in the court of the most progressive ­leader in Australia.

As the Sky News presenter ­appeared among Spring Street’s ­finest in the seats of Treasury Theatre before Labor Premier Daniel Andrews on Friday, she, of course, wore a mask.

She then zeroed in on the Premier, already reeling from his former health minister blowing a bitter goodbye kiss in the form of an absolute hand grenade of an ­inquiry submission.

Of particular interest to Credlin was the six mystery minutes and the lingering question of who, if anyone, made the fateful decision to hire private security to guard returning travellers at Victoria’s hotel quarantine program.

According to the submission of Victoria Police to the hotel quarantine inquiry, between 1.16pm and 1.22pm on March 27 someone called then police commissioner Graham Ashton to tell him a decision had been made to use private security to guard the hotels.

But the cops say they require a federal warrant to access the incoming call records of Mr Ashton, who — unfortunately — says he doesn’t remember who was on the other end of the phone call.

“Graham Ashton’s records are incomplete because he cannot access, without a federal warrant, the incoming call record,” Credlin said. “But I might state (Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary) Chris ­Eccles, your records, (Police Minister) Lisa Neville’s records and indeed your chief of staff’s records — none of that have been provided to this inquiry. And I would think that would be a very important piece of evidence to any inquiry worth its salt.”

It was the 99th consecutive presser given by Mr Andrews, and over months of disease and lockdown, the Premier’s briefings have become a fixture in the uncertain lives of Victorians.

And maybe that was the point of Credlin’s adventures in Dan land. The Premier certainly seemed conscious of all the weary eyes watching the exchange.

“The inquiry did not seek any material that you’ve just outlined,” he said. “So I wouldn’t want anyone listening or watching at home to think there was some material that was not handed up. All material that has been sought has been handed up, and to my knowledge, all those who were asked to give evidence or to provide witness statements have done that.”