Victoria’s Hotel Quarantine Inquiry has claimed its third scalp – Victoria’s top health bureaucrat Kym Peake, who resigned yesterday ahead of the Inquiry’s final report due for release next month:
During two days of at-times heated questioning [at the Inquiry], Ms Peake said it was a “matter of profound regret” that Victoria experienced a second wave.
“Kym Peake, who has served in the role for the last five years, has decided to step down from the position to pursue other opportunities,” the Government said in a statement on Thursday afternoon…
“After deep reflection, I have decided to leave the Department. I do so knowing I leave it in incredibly capable hands”…
Ms Peake revealed to the inquiry that she did always pass on issues in hotel quarantine to then-minister Jenny Mikakos, an issue that the interim report of the Coate inquiry highlighted.
Ms Peake follows former Health Minister Jenny Mikakos and for Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary Chris Eccles out the door.
The bigger issue is that after months of investigation and testimony, nobody has has been able to tell the Hotel Quarantine Inquiry who decided to use private security instead of police and ADF.
Instead, they all claim it was a collective decision (impossible in government) and a “creeping assumption”.
The whole fiasco is a farce and has “cover-up” written all over it.
The Hotel Quarantine Inquiry must get to the bottom of the issues and deliver concrete answers and accountability for what is the biggest public health and economic disaster in the state’s history.
Otherwise a royal commission is warranted.
