Thursday, 16 September 2021
Members statements
COVID-19
COVID-19
I want to pay homage to the electorate workers in opposition offices across the state, and in particular the team in Benambra.
In 15 years in this place I’ve never seen the level of frustration, anxiety, fear and dread that this government has spread across people in all walks of life and of all ages with its inability to communicate and manage outbreaks.
This week we have a border trucking company exposed to a tier 1 site in Melbourne, or was it a tier 2? Were they exposed? Should they self-isolate? Should their immediate families be locked down?
These were important questions that they simply couldn’t get an answer to.
Two drivers from the company were identified as close contacts of a COVID case at Melbourne pallet factory. They were notified five and six days after the incident. That was five and six days of interacting in the border community, five and six days in which they travelled interstate. This is a company that delivers across the nation.
The drivers did the right thing. They isolated, their families isolated. They got tested.
Then informally they were told it wasn’t a tier 1 site at all.
They sought clarification with the COVID hotline. They sat on the phone for six hours one day, four hours the next. They sent emails to the contact tracers managing their case—no answer.
Today, they have finally been given clear directions, but frankly this wasn’t good enough.
This could have been a disaster for the border community.
It could have been a disaster up and down the eastern seaboard, and all because you couldn’t pick up the phone, couldn’t return emails.
The negligence of this government makes it look like you almost want to see the virus spread to regional Victoria.
My message is clear: make your messages clearer.