The Allan Labor Government’s failure to be accountable for its actions to the federal COVID-19 inquiry shows they hold Victorians in contempt, Member for Mallee and Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health Dr Anne Webster said today.

“The people of Mallee were treated disgracefully by the then Andrews Labor Government as they were roped into what became an appalling world-record 6 Melbourne-based lockdowns totalling 262 days. Yet the Allan Labor Government are conspicuous by the absence of a submission to the Federal inquiry.

“I called out the deficiencies of this inquiry when it was announced in September and clearly the Victorian Government felt no obligation to face the music, despite other states making a submission.”

The Victorian Allied Health Professionals Association in their submission said it:

“has serious concerns about the legitimacy of this inquiry. While touted as being run by an Independent Panel, it is being run out of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet which undermines the independence of the panel. Also, some of the panel members have featured prominently throughout the pandemic in public media, expressing strong opinions on public health COVID-19 mitigations. That potentially creates a conflict of interest for them when assessing submissions that don’t necessarily align with their recorded public commentary.”

“The Victorian Government have shown contempt for Victorians and added weight to the perception Prime Minister Albanese’s inquiry is more Mickey Mouse than making good on bad mistakes,” Dr Webster said.

“As I said in September, our cross-border regions in Mallee suffered particularly harshly under Premier Andrews. Mallee residents won’t get any answers because Federal and State Labor are running a protection racket for former State Premiers and pathetically trying to keep Victorians ignorant of the political actions taken and fails to acknowledge they deserve answers.

Dr Webster said she was heartened by Treasury’s submission to the inquiry that the former Coalition Government’s Jobseeker initiative had saved 800,000 jobs. The Shadow Assistant Minister was however dismayed at the wasted vaccines on Federal Labor’s watch, at an eye-watering 35 per cent wastage as of January 2024.