COVID curfew cover-up: Labor’s lockdown lies exposed

The Nationals Member for Ovens Valley, Tim McCurdy, has condemned former Premier Daniel Andrews and current Premier Jacinta Allan for misleading Victorians over the introduction of Melbourne’s COVID curfews — measures now confirmed to have been driven by politics, not health advice.

“For four years, we’ve been fighting to force Labor to come clean on the decisions they made behind closed doors during the pandemic — and now the truth is finally out,” Mr McCurdy said.

Newly released documents under Freedom of Information have blown the lid off Labor’s repeated claims that the 2020 and 2021 curfews were “guided by health advice”. In reality, the curfews were imposed before any formal health advice was given — and the state’s top health officials were not the ones who initiated the policy.

“The curfew was one of the harshest, most isolating restrictions ever imposed on Victorians, and now we know it wasn’t based on medical evidence,” Mr McCurdy said.

“This was Daniel Andrews and Jacinta Allan running a government by press conference, not by science. They’ve been caught red-handed misleading the public at the highest level.”

An internal email from Public Health Commander Dr Finn Romanes admitted the curfew was a cabinet decision, not a health department recommendation.

It was only after Andrews publicly announced it that Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton was asked to provide retrospective justification.

“This disgraceful political stunt inflicted enormous mental, emotional and economic harm on our communities,” Mr McCurdy said.

“And Jacinta Allan was there every step of the way.”

“Regional communities are still feeling the financial fallout of Labor’s lockdown legacy, from shuttered businesses to workforce shortages and struggling main streets.”

“Labor can’t manage a health crisis, can’t manage a budget, and can’t manage the truth — and Victorians are paying the price.”