Victoria hotel quarantine inquiry hears of 'pivotal' meeting that led to use of private security
A “pivotal” meeting of Victorian government officials on 27 March led to the decision to use private security contractors for the $80m hotel quarantine program, a parliamentary inquiry has heard.
As the dispute between the state and federal governments continued over whether defence force support for the program was offered, the Victorian jobs minister, Martin Pakula, dismissed media reports that he was ultimately responsible for hotel quarantine, stating his department didn’t have operational control for the program.
The department secretary, Simon Phemister, told the inquiry the department had a limited say at the meeting, which was attended by officials from several state departments and chaired by the emergency services commissioner, Andrew Crisp.
“We all put forward our views, deferred to the experts when it came to matters of security, when it came to matters of health protection and public health, and from that meeting an operational plan was struck,” Phemister said.
“We didn’t offer any advice into that meeting in areas where we don’t hold expertise.”
It was ultimately the jobs department that was responsible for procuring security firms once the decision had been made, but Phemister said the department had an “ancillary” logistical role in that it did not have any power over detaining people in hotels, nor any role in health matters relating to hotel quarantine.
Pakula told the inquiry that early in the hotel quarantine program, officers from his department told the state control centre it was the department’s view that police should be on site at the hotels.
Phemister said the department brought issues around security to the attention of the deputy state controller, Chris Eagle.
On Monday, the Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, told the inquiry the hotel quarantine program was an extension of another program for protecting vulnerable members of the community, and those escaping domestic violence, which already used private security.
Andrews said claims the Australian defence force was available for assistance were “fundamentally incorrect”.
On Tuesday afternoon, the federal defence minister, Linda Reynolds, put out a statement contradicting Andrews, stating that Victoria had informed the ADF that “Victoria was not seeking ADF assistance with mandatory quarantine arrangements”.
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Crisp responded on Wednesday morning, stating that although the Australian defence force was involved in the planning of hotel quarantine on 27 and 28 March, assistance was not sought or offered by the ADF in managing the system.
On Wednesday, Andrews referred back to the statement when asked about the contradiction with Reynolds’ statement
“I don’t know the federal defence minister. I don’t deal with her. I deal with the prime minister.”
Asked why Crisp had not been involved in any press conference during the pandemic, even though he had appeared before the media during the summer bushfire crisis, Andrews said the commissioner was “very busy”.
The Victorian inquiry will hear from Crisp on 26 August, while the first hearing into the hotel quarantine program will be held on Monday.
