The letters that condemn Dan Andrews: Bombshell messages reveal the PM begged the premier to let soldiers man quarantine hotels THREE times - as fiasco sparked Australia's second wave
- PM urged Daniel Andrews to accept 1,000 ADF crew during coronavirus crisis
- Letters written as Victoria's second horror coronavirus wave began to worsen
- Comes after Victoria requested 850 ADF troops in late June but withdrew offer
Scott Morrison personally wrote to Daniel Andrews three times urging the Victorian premier to accept 1,000 Australian Defence Force troops to help the state's fight against coronavirus, bombshell letters have revealed.
Details of the strongly-worded letters, obtained by Sky News through Freedom of Information laws, were revealed on Wednesday night.
They were written by the prime minister as Victoria's second horror coronavirus wave that would later send the state back into lockdown began to spiral out of control.
Mr Morrison first wrote to the premier on July 4.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison urged Victorian premier to accept 1,000 Australian Defence Force troops to help the state's fight with coronavirus. Pictured are ADF troops and police patrolling Melbourne during the second wave of the virus
Mr Morrison noted 'with concern' cases in Victoria that day spiked to 108 as 'part of an increased trend of cases during the past week'.
'This has necessitated a further two postcodes being listed as hotspots and new hard lockdowns of nine residential public housing buildings in North Melbourne,' he wrote.
'I recognise the new measures and support the significant efforts underway. The Commonwealth stands ready to provide any support needed on top of the existing measures in place, including Australian Defence Force support to support planning and logistics, and Commonwealth staff to support clinical efforts, community engagement and contact tracing.'
He added ADF personnel could also help with patrolling affected suburbs already in lockdown and residents do not travel outside from hotspot zones.
Scott Morrison urged Daniel Andrews to accept the offer of extra ADF support numerous time. Pictured are ADF personnel manning a Princes Highway checkpoint outside Melbourne
'As we have seen with the previous outbreaks in North-West Tasmania and Sydney, these types of outbreaks can quickly overwhelm local health systems. I reaffirm the offer of Commonwealth for on-the-ground support and help in co-ordinating support from other states while acknowledging Victoria's leadership,' he continued.
Mr Morrison also expressed concern about the number of cases where such travellers have been identified entering NSW, sparking a spike in fresh cases there.
The prime minister followed up with another letter three days later on July 7, followed by a third on July 11.
'It is critical to the containment of the virus that the now thousands of people in isolation and quarantine are carefully tracked by phone and personal visits to ensure compliance (and to ensure their welfare),' Mr Morrison stressed.
He added the remainder of ADF personnel Victoria requested on July 7 could still be deployed. The request was later withdrawn.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) expressed concern about Victoria's rising number of new cases in his first letter to the Victorian Premier on July 4
Up to 1,000 ADF personnel were offered to Victoria as the state's second coronavirus wave hit. Pictured are Australian Defence Force troops patrolling Melbourne's Fitzroy Gardens
'An estimated 1,000 ADF could be progressively deployed in this way over the next week, with greater scope beyond. Given the escalating COVID-19 outbreak in Victoria, I recommend you again consider further ADF deployment to Melbourne over the coming days to assist in the enforcement of public health compliance.'
Mr Andrews responded to the Prime Minister on July 5, 7, 12 and 14 regarding offers Commonwealth support.
The Commonwealth submission to the Victorian government’s hotel quarantine inquiry revealed that Victoria's emergency management commissioner Andrew Crisp sent an email on June 24 requesting the assistance of 850 ADF troops.
The offer was withdrawn a day later, citing 'changing operational and resourcing requirements'.
Victoria recorded 15 new cases and five more deaths on Wednesday as Melbourne's 14-day average finally dipped below 30.
Details of the Prime Minister's bombshell letters to Daniel Andrews (pictured) were obtained by Sky News through Freedom of Information laws
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMigAFodHRwczovL3d3dy5kYWlseW1haWwuY28udWsvbmV3cy9hcnRpY2xlLTg3NjM1MzEvTGV0dGVycy1wZW5uZWQtUE0tcmV2ZWFsLXJlcXVlc3RlZC1EYW4tQW5kcmV3cy1hY2NlcHQtYXJteS10cm9vcHMtZGVjbGluZWQuaHRtbNIBhAFodHRwczovL3d3dy5kYWlseW1haWwuY28udWsvbmV3cy9hcnRpY2xlLTg3NjM1MzEvYW1wL0xldHRlcnMtcGVubmVkLVBNLXJldmVhbC1yZXF1ZXN0ZWQtRGFuLUFuZHJld3MtYWNjZXB0LWFybXktdHJvb3BzLWRlY2xpbmVkLmh0bWw?oc=5
2020-09-23 11:21:12Z
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