Daniel Andrews’ quarantine bungling closes Victoria’s borders

Today’s announcement of the closure of the Victorian border with New South Wales means our state is now entirely shut off.  The incompetence of the Andrews Labor Government’s handling of hotel quarantine has caused this decision which will be devastating for so many Victorian families and businesses.

Border communities are facing turmoil, residents in a dozen hotspot postcodes are back in lockdown while residents of nine public housing estates have been locked up.

Today the state recorded 127 new coronavirus cases, the largest daily increase in infections for Victoria since the pandemic began.  And while other parts of Australia are opening up, their residents feeling positive about the future, Victorian businesses and families are feeling crushed.

Instead of admitting fault and fixing the problems he’s caused, the Premier is trying to cut corners.

The Andrews Labor Government put hotel quarantine in the hands of untrained and unprofessional security guards, spreading coronavirus through the community.  Now Daniel Andrews is replacing them with airline staff without guaranteeing them proper and adequate training – raising concerns of the Transport Workers Union.

Daniel Andrews’ arrogance is putting Victorians at risk.

For weeks the Victorian Liberal Nationals have been calling on Daniel Andrews to accept help from trained Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel.

The ADF is trained for situations like this.  ADF personnel could assist in a number of areas, including supplying food to those locked down in public housing estates, testing, tracing and hotel quarantine.  But Andrews stubbornly refuses to accept their help and to explain why he’s made this decision.

For Victoria to get this virus under control this battle, the Premier must accept he needs help and bring in the ADF.

The problems caused by Daniel Andrews’ bad decisions must be fixed – now.

Comments attributable to the Leader of the Opposition, Michael O’Brien:

“The rest of the country has turned their back on Victoria because the Andrews Government has failed to contain this outbreak.

“Why doesn’t Daniel Andrews for once admit he has made a mistake, bring in the ADF and get them to fix the problem he has caused?  We can’t go forward until the problems are fixed.

“The ADF is ready, willing and able to assist. They’re professional and they’re trained.  Why won’t Daniel Andrews use them?  It makes no sense at all.

“To think that Victoria alone is now locked in is devastating for families and businesses.  Daniel Andrews needs to swallow his pride and bring in the ADF.”

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