Confirmation today that the Commonwealth Government will support the construction of a quarantine facility in Victoria is an important step forward, but must be met with a management overhaul by the Andrews Labor Government.
Today at National Cabinet it is expected that the Commonwealth Government will agree to fund the $200 million facility, whilst the State Labor Government will retain operational control of the site.
Under the Andrews Labor Government, Victoria’s hotel quarantine program has gone through four management overhauls, been suspended three times, triggered two lockdowns and caused the catastrophic second wave that resulted in the deaths of 801 people.
In stark contrast, New South Wales has returned almost four times as many travellers, had fewer than a quarter of total infections and less than a third days in lockdown when compared to Victoria.
This is the model Daniel Andrews must implement in Victoria to ensure his government’s catastrophic failings of the past are not repeated again.
Comments attributable to Shadow Minister for Police and Crime Prevention, David Southwick:
“Moving the site doesn’t fix the problem. The issue here is who runs the actual quarantine program and what we know is Labor has failed repeatedly and needs to fix its management.
“Whilst Victoria has lurched from breach to lockdown to overhaul time and again, New South Wales has returned four times as many travellers and successfully gotten on top of outbreaks when they occur.
“A shiny new facility won’t make up for failed management and Victoria’s quarantine system should be run exactly the same as successful models in other states with infection control experts in charge.”
