Labor frontbencher Richard Marles says no one, including Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton, is being given a free pass by the state’s Hotel Quarantine Inquiry.
Professor Sutton has been criticised after he failed to table two email chains that showed he was aware private security firms were being used to quarantine COVID-19 cases.
The Coate Inquiry held an extraordinary session at 2pm on Tuesday in which it discussed the secret emails from Brett Sutton which were omitted from evidence by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
The two email chains were not submitted by the DHHS pertaining to the “chain of command” of hotel quarantine, and when Professor Sutton was made aware of private security.
Professor Sutton has been asked to submit an affidavit as the hotel quarantine inquiry seeks an explanation as to why the key emails weren't tendered during an extraordinary session on Tuesday.
The botched quarantine regime was identified as the source of Victoria’s deadly second wave COVID-19 outbreak.
Mr Marles defended Mr Sutton, telling Sky News the inquiry should be allowed to run its course before rushing to judgement.
“All of these officials are cooperating with the inquiry, no one is being given a free pass here, the premier himself has given evidence to the inquiry,” he said.
“It’s going to land where it lands… from where we sit, I think it’s important to let the process run out and we’ll look at the findings when the inquiry hands down its report.”
