[url][https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/breaking-news/hotel-inquiry-hears-closing-submissions/news-story/7669430aa65c492b67112c576b1f9087/url]


The Andrews Government’s bungled hotel quarantine system is to blame for 768 deaths, an inquiry has heard.

Counsel assisting Ben Ihle said the evidence showed there were “critical and fundamental shortcomings” with the program.

“Those deficiencies were in its structure and focus, specifically in the areas of governance, infection control, outbreak management, healthcare, welfare and human services,” he said.

“In light of the epidemiological, genomic sequencing, positive case data and mortality rates, the failure by the hotel quarantine program to contain this virus is, as at today‘s date, responsible for the deaths of 768 people and the infection of some 18,418 others.

“One only needs to pause and reflect on those figures to appreciate the full scope of devastation and despair occasioned as result of the outbreaks.



how about these as well rusty??????????


DEPARTMENT FAILED ON PRIVATE SECURITY CONTRACTS

The Department of Jobs, Regions and Precincts didn’t adequately manage private security contracts, the inquiry has heard.

Counsel assisting, Rachel Ellyard, also said the onus for infection control should not have been placed on those companies.

The three contractors selected by the Department of Jobs, Regions and Precincts to guard returned travellers in quarantine hotels had responsibility to ensure their workers complied with PPE use and COVID-19 training requirements.

“The risks of those matters were placed on the security companies and the same was true for hotels, and that in our submission, ought not to have occurred,” counsel assisting, Rachel Ellyard, said.

Ms Ellyard invited the board to conclude the DJPR failed to have adequate oversight of the use of subcontractors in the program.

From day one, Unified security was almost entirely reliant on subcontractors, in turn drawing on small subcontracting companies.

One of the small subcontractors was providing hundreds of guards a day across six hotels.

The company was not on a government panel of preferred businesses to use, like the other larger two companies, MSS and Wilson, yet got a lot of the work, including at the Rydges on Swanston, where the first outbreak occurred in May.

“DJPR placed more than half the hotels in this program with a company which was using nearly entirely subcontracted labour, which wasn’t on the panel and which was using that labour without active knowledge and oversight by DJPR,” Ms Ellyard said.

“That’s a particular risk for the success of this program, occasioned by so much responsibility ending up on the shoulders of a small subcontracting firm for the identification and supply of hundreds of staff who had to be appropriately trained and resourced at a time when there were other larger companies who were not being called upon in the same way.

“The board should conclude DJPR didn’t have adequate oversight of the use of subcontractors in the program and didn’t consider, when apportioning work between the three contractors, the extent to which those contractors had access to appropriately trained staff.

“This was, we submit, a failure of contract management on the part of DJPR and it ignored a mechanism designed to ensure the safety of subcontractors and returned travellers alike.”




so they have nailed the dept that  was responsible for hiring the security company   but cant find the person who signed off onit..

amazing..

Neferti wrote on Sep 29^th, 2020 at 7:30am:



jokes aside nef.....someone had to pay this security company...someone had to be given permission to do that....contracts are not usually given without a signature.

cods wrote on Sep 29^th, 2020 at 7:38am:



It's called a purchase order.
No one would do the work without receiving one
as they would never get paid.
Not once did I hear a word about the purchase order.
There would also most likely be a legal contract written up -
nothing about that either.

The pathetic inquiry hasn't revealed the answers to the most simple questions.

Dan must resign.

Bobby. wrote on Sep 29^th, 2020 at 8:02am:


Bobby, the purchase order would have gone to the contractor. But, it seems that the contractor subbed out the work to other security companies. This puts distance between the government and the company that carried out the work.

Wonder if Scott Morrison and the Federal government are included in this lawsuit seeing as they apparently were the ones who provided the "approved" list of companies for Victoria to choose from for the hotel quarantine?