COVID-19
Ms CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (11:49): My question is to the Minister for Workplace Safety. Minister, the shocking deaths, mismanagement and mistakes that occurred at St Basil’s aged-care home are being investigated, with St Basil’s suspected of breaches of the health and safety act. Yet, Minister, a root cause analysis by specialist emergency physician Dr Ian Norton, who handed it to the inquest currently underway, highlighted a decision by chief health officer Brett Sutton to replace all St Basil’s staff with a commonwealth workforce, despite it being dismissed by doctors from Northern Health as a ‘shocking idea’, and I ask: why is WorkSafe not currently probing the responsibility, the mistakes and the culpability of the Victorian Department of Health in the deaths that occurred at St Basil’s?
Ms STITT (Western Metropolitan—Minister for Workplace Safety, Minister for Early Childhood) (11:50): I thank Ms Crozier for her question, and I note that these matters are currently the subject of a coronial inquest. It would not be appropriate for me to comment in that context, and as I have said a number of times in the house before, WorkSafe’s enforcement activities are at arm’s length from me and are a matter for the independent safety regulator. I further note that the aged-care sector other than the public part of that sector—the private aged-care sector—is the primary responsibility of the federal government, and Ms Crozier would be well aware of that fact.
Ms CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (11:51): I note the minister is again trying to have no responsibility in her portfolio. Minister, Dr Sutton was the one who officially ordered the workforce standdown and was certainly responsible for the delay in the Victorian Department of Health notifying the commonwealth, despite the Victorian department being notified, so I ask: why is WorkSafe not investigating Dr Sutton’s delay in notifying the commonwealth, given this delay is likely to be central to many of the sad deaths that occurred? Is it another Andrews government cover-up? Doesn’t WorkSafe owe it to the 50 residents who lost their lives and their families to find the truth?
Ms STITT (Western Metropolitan—Minister for Workplace Safety, Minister for Early Childhood) (11:51): I thank Ms Crozier for her supplementary question. Again, these matters are currently the subject of a coronial inquest. In addition to that, Ms Crozier would know that outbreak management is squarely the responsibility of the public health team. Throughout this pandemic that has been the case, and that is the responsibility of the chief health officer, the public health team and the Minister for Health. What investigations WorkSafe undertake in the context of the safety of workers and the responsibilities of duty holders is a matter for the safety regulator. I do not direct WorkSafe in that regard, and I would point Ms Crozier to the answers I have given the chamber in relation to this matter on numerous occasions.