Daniel Andrews has announced he will hand over text messages and phone records to the inquiry investigating Victoria’s hotel quarantine fiasco.
In an earlier statement to the inquiry, Victoria Police chief Graham Ashton referred to a six-minute phone call he received where he learnt details about the private security plan — but couldn’t remember who the caller was.
The answer could shed light on who in the government was responsible for the disastrous program, which was the source of Victoria’s second COVID wave.
Mr Andrews had been grilled on his phone records by Tony Abbott’s former chief of staff Peta Credlin at a press conference on Friday.
The now-Sky News commentator was a surprise appearance at the briefing, where she demanded to know why Mr Andrews hadn’t handed over phone records.
At the time, the Premier said he had not been asked by the COVID-19 Hotel Quarantine Inquiry’s board for the records and therefore did not have to produce them, but that he had “always indicated” he would if he was asked.
On Sunday, he revealed the request had since been made, and he would comply “as soon as possible”.
“I can’t give an exact timeline because Telstra and others have to provide us with those details, but that will be provided just as they asked,” he said.
“All of us are entitled to the answers. It’s an independent process.”
He appeared to suggest others may have also been asked for their phone records, telling journalists: “I can only speak for me, and my senior staff, including media staff — they will all be handing over the relevant details.”
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