Dan Andrews’ pandemic secrets should be made public, say Libs

Opposition calls on Premier to abandon legal appeal aimed at keeping pandemic surveys by his $2m political strategist secret.

Labor strategist John Armitage.

The Victorian opposition has launched a strong attack on the Andrews government for “chewing up” taxpayer funds to fight the release of secret documents detailing its pandemic surveys of Victorians.

Opposition upper house leader David Davis has called on Daniel Andrews to drop an appeal launched by the Department of Premier and Cabinet against a landmark ruling by Victoria’s information commissioner.

Commissioner Sven Bluemmel ordered the DPC to release a range of documents and remove many redactions to documents already released to The Australian, finding “the public interest is particularly strong”.

“It is outrageous that Daniel Andrews has instructed the department to fight the release of this sensitive polling information that should be in the public domain,” Mr Davis said. “Taxpayers have funded this research and taxpayers should not be forced to fund a gaggle of lawyers to defy the independent information commissioner’s ruling that this information should be in the public domain.”

In a significant ruling after a 10-month appeal, Mr Bluemmel ordered the DPC to release documents related to secret Covid-19 surveys of Victorians by the Premier’s $2m political strategist, QDOS Research.

“I’m not satisfied their disclosure would be contrary to the public interest,” Mr Bluemmel concluded.

“I also consider there is a public interest in disclosure regarding the expenditure of public funds. In this case – where such funds are spent by government on surveying attitudes on issues of significance to the community that may influence and impact upon government decision-making – the public interest is particularly strong.”

QDOS, owned and operated by veteran Labor strategist John Armitage, has been paid more than $2m to conduct confidential surveys for the DPC, including during the height of the pandemic and lockdowns in 2020.

The QDOS surveys were designed in conjunction with the Premier’s private office, with some having a strong political focus, including monitoring Victorians’ reaction to lockdown restrictions and asking them to score the government’s performance out of 10, including its leadership.

Mr Davis said the Victorian government should behave like a model litigant rather than “endlessly chewing up public money on futile legal manoeuvring designed to kick the case out after the state election in November”.