The wheels of justice grind slowly, as the saying goes, but they grind exceedingly fine. Despite a litany of denials and official amnesia, the inquiry into Victoria’s hotel quarantine disaster is inching ever-closer to holding those responsible accountable.
Already, then-health minister Jenny Mikakos has been rolled by her own premier, thrown under the bus to try and distract inquisitorial attention from the boss. But the truth will out, however slowly. The latest revelation is that Victoria’s own Ashley Bloomfield, public service pinup boy Brett Sutton, seems to have been telling a few porkies to the Coates inquiry.
Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton instructed lawyers to withhold from the state’s hotel quarantine inquiry a critical email that appears to contradict his sworn evidence that he was not told about the use of private security guards until months after the scheme began.
Professor Sutton’s bid to keep the email secret was revealed after the inquiry headed by former judge Jennifer Coate held a special hearing on Tuesday and released its correspondence with lawyers acting for the Department of Health and Human Services.
As Rocky the cartoon gangster would say, they don’t know how ya’s dun it, but they know ya’s dun it.
The inquiry[…]has asked for Professor Sutton and other bureaucrats involved in the scheme to clarify their earlier evidence. The Herald Sun reported that Premier Daniel Andrews was among “certain parties” ordered by the inquiry to make another sworn statement[…]
Professor Sutton told the lawyers he stood by his previous evidence that he was not aware of the use of private security until media reports in May[…]
The March 27 email chain now tabled to the inquiry shows a Department of Home Affairs official, Sandra Jeffery, asking Professor Sutton to provide details of quarantine arrangements in Victoria, including security arrangements.
Professor Sutton asked DHHS deputy director strategy and policy, Braedan Hogan, to respond and copy him in. Mr Hogan told Ms Jeffery that “private security is being contracted to provide security at the hotels with escalation arrangements to (Victoria Police) as needed”.
Professor Sutton acknowledged receipt of the email with the words: “thanks so much, Braedan”.
So Sutton reckons he didn’t read the email that he specifically requested and said “thanks so much” for.
[Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary Chris] Eccles will be asked to provide a further affidavit to the inquiry after phone records showed he spoke to the then Victoria Police chief Graham Ashton for 135 seconds in a pivotal six-minute window during the planning of hotel quarantine. Mr Ashton will also be asked to answer new questions put by the inquiry.
Maybe the inquiry can draft Eddie Maguire, to ask all its witnesses, “Are you sure that’s your final answer?”
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