The Victorian Opposition is calling for the Deputy Chief Health Officer to resign over her comments comparing COVID-19 to Captain Cook's arrival in Australia.
Key points:
- Annaliese van Diemen compared COVID-19 to the "terror" of Captain Cook's arrival
- Shadow Health Minister Georgie Crozier said Dr van Diemen should resign over the "inappropriate" remarks
- Health Minister Jenny Mikakos dismissed the Opposition criticism as "irrelevant"
"Sudden arrival of an invader from another land, decimating populations, creating terror,'' Annaliese van Diemen said on Twitter.
"Forces the population to make enormous sacrifices & completely change how they live in order to survive. COVID19 or Cook 1770?"
Opposition Health Spokeswoman Georgie Crozier said Dr van Diemen's comments were "highly inappropriate at a time when Victoria remains in a State of Emergency".
"She should resign," Ms Crozier said.
"How can Victorians have confidence in the advice being provided to them when our most senior bureaucrats are making such ideological public commentary that has nothing to do with the crisis that we are all facing."
'Culture wars crap,' says Liberal MP
The comments were posted online on Wednesday morning, the 250th anniversary of Captain Cook and the Endeavour sailing into Botany Bay.
A day later, the remarks drew the attention of Liberal frontbencher Tim Smith, who received criticism from some within his party last week after he lashed out at Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton on Twitter.
Mr Smith joined the call for Dr Van Diemen to resign, saying her comments were not only insensitive but inaccurate.
"What's with the culture wars crap from a state health bureaucrat at a time like this?'' he said.
"Captain Cook didn't invade Australia. He charted the east coast of Australia.
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Former Liberal leader Matthew Guy quickly joined in, describing Dr van Diemen as "a complete fruitcake".
But Victoria's Health Minister Jenny Mikakos dismissed the criticism of Dr van Diemen.
"The Deputy Chief Health Officer is doing an outstanding job protecting Victorians from this deadly pandemic," she said.
"Criticism from angry MPs is irrelevant to the fight against this virus."
The comments come just a week after Opposition Leader Michael O'Brien told Mr Smith and Mr Guy to tone down their criticism of Professor Sutton.
But on Thursday Mr O'Brien joined in, saying the tweet was embarrassing and inappropriate.
"Daniel Andrews' Deputy Chief Health Officer should be working on giving Victorians a pathway out of Labor's lockdown, not giving us woke political commentary on Twitter,'' Mr O'Brien said in a statement.
"No wonder many Victorians are questioning why our lockdown has no end in sight; the Government is too busy playing politics on Twitter."
The ABC has contacted the State Government and the Department of Health and Human Services for comment.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMibmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTA0LTMwL2RlcHV0eS1jaGllZi1oZWFsdGgtb2ZmaWNlci1saWtlbnMtY29yb25hdmlydXMtdG8tY2FwdGFpbi1jb29rLzEyMjAyNTAy0gEnaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAuYWJjLm5ldC5hdS9hcnRpY2xlLzEyMjAyNTAy?oc=5
2020-04-30 08:51:00Z
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