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Police Minister must come clean on hotel quarantine failures

Revelations that offers of assistance from the Australia Defence Force (ADF) in the operation of Victoria’s hotel quarantine program were repeatedly ignored highlights again the catastrophic failures of the Andrews Labor Government.  

Reports reveal 100 ADF personnel were ready to support Victoria’s returned traveller program the same day that it was announced.  However this assistance was declined because the hotel quarantine plan developed by Victoria Police did not “include or require ADF involvement”.

For the next two months the ADF’s standing offer to assist was ignored and met with no request for assistance by the Victorian Government according to ADF reports.  That’s despite Victorian officials raising concerns over the use of private security guards.  

The Andrews Labor Government’s botched hotel quarantine program has triggered a devastating second wave of COVID-19 which has tragically resulted in further deaths. As well as families being forced apart and another 250,000 Victorians to be put out of work under Stage 4 restrictions. 

Emergency management agencies under the responsibility of Police Minister Lisa Neville have serious questions to answer.  Minister Neville must immediately come clean over her involvement in the worst public policy failure in Victoria’s history. 

Comments attributable to Shadow Minister for Police, David Southwick:

“Police Minister Lisa Neville’s hands are all over Victoria’s botched hotel quarantine program. The least Victorians deserve is transparency and the truth from the Andrews Labor Government.

“Minister Neville said she didn’t want to throw anyone under the bus over the hotel quarantine debacle. Victorians will be rightly wondering if she was referring to herself.

“Victorians deserve real answers as to why ADF support was refused, even when systemic issues were revealed within quarantine hotels.” 

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