The inquiry into Victoria's failed hotel quarantine scheme will delay handing down its final report by more than a month, saying it is still waiting on documents requested at an extraordinary sitting last week.
Key points:
- The board of inquiry said the report would now be handed down by December 21
- An earlier interim report will contain recommendations to the Government
- Premier Daniel Andrews granted the inquiry the extension today after chair Jennifer Coate requested it
There will instead be an interim report handed down on November 6 — the previous deadline — which will include recommendations for a proposed quarantine program.
Victoria has not been accepting overseas arrivals pending the outcome of the inquiry.
The final report will be handed down by December 21 and will contain findings about the establishment of the failed hotel quarantine system.
The board of inquiry held an extraordinary sitting on October 20 to request more documents from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) after a series of email chains contradicted Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton's evidence on the use of private security.
"This unfortunate delay is due to the provision of additional material which occurred after the conclusion of closing submissions on 28 September 2020, as detailed at the extraordinary sitting," the inquiry said in a statement.
"As a result of this additional material, the Board has issued several further notices to produce and requests for affidavits.
"Several documents and affidavits are presently outstanding and may lead to further enquiries."
Professor Sutton claimed in evidence at the inquiry that he was not aware of private security's involvement in the program until he read it in "media reports" in May.
But in a chain of emails tendered to the inquiry last week, senior public health bureaucrat Braedan Hogan told Professor Sutton of private security use on March 27.
It was also revealed that the Chief Health Officer instructed his lawyers not to hand over critical emails to the inquiry.
In a statement, Professor Sutton said he had "fully cooperated" with the inquiry and he took his obligations to the board seriously.
In a statement on October 20, DHHS said it was also fully cooperating and would "urgently" respond to any request from the inquiry for additional information.
Counsel assisting the inquiry, Tony Neal QC, told the extraordinary sitting many other people had been asked to provide more documents and affidavits on "two discreet developments" that had arisen since the inquiry's hearings closed.
The Department of Premier and Cabinet was asked to provide more information after phone records revealed the former departmental head, Chris Eccles, spoke to former police chief Graham Ashton during a key window on March 27.
The inquiry sought the phone records and messages from Premier Daniel Andrews and his senior staff earlier in October.
Mr Eccles resigned after the records showed he made a two-minute phone call to Mr Ashton on the day much of the program was set up.
Inquiry chair and retired judge Jennifer Coate wrote yesterday to the Premier, who today agreeed to extend the final reporting date.
She had earlier indicated the requests for more information could delay the board's timeline.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMibWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTEwLTI5L2Nvcm9uYXZpcnVzLWhvdGVsLXF1YXJhbnRpbmUtaW5xdWlyeS1maW5hbC1yZXBvcnQtZGVsYXllZC1kZWMvMTI4MjU1MTTSASdodHRwczovL2FtcC5hYmMubmV0LmF1L2FydGljbGUvMTI4MjU1MTQ?oc=5
2020-10-28 23:28:00Z
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