trying to sweep Ruby Princess debacle under the carpet
- Tasmanians
deserve to know who made the final call
- Government
secrecy is appalling
Peter Gutwein is refusing to
be honest with Tasmanians about the clear breakdown in decision making that led
to the COVID-19 outbreak on the North West Coast.
Explosive revelations
emerged in Budget Estimates this week that Biosecurity Tasmania staff
identified the risk of passengers from the Ruby Princess entering Tasmania but
were told to allow them in without quarantine.
Shadow Minister for Primary
Industries, Shane Broad, said this was a devastating mistake and Tasmanians
deserved to know how the decision was made and who made the final call.
“Biosecurity officers
identified the risk of Ruby Princess passengers entering Tasmania without
quarantine on or around 19 March,” Dr Broad said.
“The passengers were held in
an airlock at the airport while advice was sought on what action to take.
“Ultimately the call was
made to allow the passengers to disembark and go home. They were not given PPE, they were not health checked
and they were not required to quarantine.
“It is crucial to note that
this incident occurred after the declaration of a Public Health Emergency and
after the Federal Government mandated that international arrivals self-isolate
for 14 days.
“Tasmanians deserve to know
why the government failed to trust the instincts of Biosecurity Tasmania staff
on the frontline.
“Government secrecy over these alarming chain of
events is appalling and no one is taking responsibility with multiple Ministers
passing the buck.
“This outbreak claimed the lives of 13 Tasmanians and the government owes it to them to be open and transparent so we can learn from this and prevent it happening again.”
Shane Broad MP
Shadow Minister for Primary Industries
