Victorian Labor votes to dodge scrutiny over virus handling

The Labor chair of a parliamentary committee has used her casting vote to delay a probe into Victoria’s handling of the pandemic.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

The Labor chair of Victoria’s Parliamentary Accounts and Estimates Comittee has used her casting vote to prevent the committee from scrutinising the Andrews government’s handling of Victoria’s coronavirus crisis until August.

The committee is currently the only parliamentary body with authority to call the Premier, ministers and bureaucrats to account for their actions, but is made up of five Labor MPs, three Coalition MPs, a Green and a Liberal Democrat.

Despite Labor having the casting vote on the committee, the body played a key role in shedding light on the Andrews government’s handling of the COVID-19 cluster at Melbourne abattoir Cedar Meats when it last held inquiries.

Committee members met on Monday morning to vote on a motion calling for an inquiry to be held on July 27, with evidence to be given from Premier Daniel Andrews, Health Minister Jenny Mikakos, Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton, his deputy Annaliese van Diemen, Police and Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville, Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton, Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp and Treasurer Tim Pallas.

The proposal follows a second wave of COVID-19 cases which is already worse than the first, with a high proportion of cases genomically linked to the government’s bungling of its hotel quarantine system.

The Australian understands Liberal MPs Richard Riordan and Bridget Vallence, Nationals MP Danny O’Brien, Greens MP Sam Hibbins and Liberal Democrat David Limbrick all voted in favour of the motion, but the vote was tied when Labor MPs Lizzie Blandthorn, Gary Maas, Pauline Richards, Tim Richardson and Ingrid Stitt all opposed it, with Chair Ms Blandthorn using her casting vote.

Daniel Andrews with Labor MP Lizzie Blandthorn in 2019. Picture: Supplied

Asked why his government was avoiding scrutiny, Mr Andrews denied responsibility for the decision of his MPs.

“I cannot provide you with any update as to the business of a Public Accounts and Estimates Committee today,” Mr Andrews said.

“I am neither a member of the Public Accounts and investments committee, nor have I been briefed or played any role in the deliberations of that parliamentary committee.

“I’ve had a fair bit to get on with today. That committee is a committee of the parliament and constituted by a vote of the parliament, and if you want to know what they’ve done, then you would need to speak with them, because I certainly haven’t. I’ve got lots of other things to do.”