- Tasmanians deserve to know who made the final call
- Government secrecy is appalling
Peter Gutwein is refusing to be honest with Tasmanians about the clear breakdown in decision making that led to the COVID-19 outbreak on the North West Coast.
Explosive revelations emerged in Budget Estimates this week that Biosecurity Tasmania staff identified the risk of passengers from the Ruby Princess entering Tasmania but were told to allow them in without quarantine.
Shadow Minister for Primary Industries, Shane Broad, said this was a devastating mistake and Tasmanians deserved to know how the decision was made and who made the final call.
"Biosecurity officers identified the risk of Ruby Princess passengers entering Tasmania without quarantine on or around 19 March," Dr Broad said.
"The passengers were held in an airlock at the airport while advice was sought on what action to take.
"Ultimately the call was made to allow the passengers to disembark and go home. They were not given PPE, they were not health checked and they were not required to quarantine.
"It is crucial to note that this incident occurred after the declaration of a Public Health Emergency and after the Federal Government mandated that international arrivals self-isolate for 14 days.
"Tasmanians deserve to know why the government failed to trust the instincts of Biosecurity Tasmania staff on the frontline.
"Government secrecy over these alarming chain of events is appalling and no one is taking responsibility with multiple Ministers passing the buck.
"This outbreak claimed the lives of 13 Tasmanians and the government owes it to them to be open and transparent so we can learn from this and prevent it happening again."
Shane Broad MP
Shadow Minister for Primary Industries
