Coronavirus: Daniel Andrews still refusing to shoulder blame for hotel quarantine fiasco, say Liberals

Victoria’s Opposition Leader says Premier Daniel Andrews is yet to take responsibility for the hotel quarantine fiasco, after a second key government figure quit.

Victoria’s Opposition Leader says Premier Daniel Andrews is yet to take responsibility for the hotel quarantine fiasco, after a second key government figure quit.

Michael O’Brien said the resignation of Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary Chris Eccles failed to answer the key question of who decided to use private security guards.

“Victoria is the only state in the country to have a second wave caused by a botched Labor government hotel quarantine program, with 791 lives lost, hundreds of thousands of jobs gone and millions of Victorians under harsh lockdowns,” he said.

Mr Eccles announced his resignation after his phone records contradicted testimony he gave to the hotel quarantine inquiry regarding a conversation with then Victoria Police chief commissioner Graham Ashton. It follows the resignation of health minister Jenny Mikakos after Mr Andrews said she was responsible for the quarantine program.

Saying Mr Andrews had thrown Ms Mikakos and Mr Eccles under the bus, Mr O’Brien said the Premier was more preoccupied with escaping blame than leading Victorians. “The Premier has … yet to accept any responsibility for the greatest public policy failure in our country’s history,” he said.