Shock emails show Melbourne’s COVID curfew came from Premier Dan Andrews’ cabinet not medical experts
The harsh decision to force millions of Melburnians into a COVID curfew was not based on medical advice, according to explosive documents released after a four-and-a-half-year legal battle.
The revelation stems from an email exchange between former chief health officer Brett Sutton and then-public health commander Finn Romanes, which confirms the unprecedented 8pm-5am lockdown in 2020 was “not occurring on public health advice but is a decision taken by Cabinet”.
The correspondence, obtained through a Freedom of Information fight led by Opposition MP David Davis, shows Dr Romanes explicitly stated the curfew “has not arisen from public health advice” when seeking Professor Sutton’s approval just hours before its August 2, 2020, implementation.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Professor Sutton endorsed the measure as a transmission deterrent, replying: “Your assessment is correct as I understand it.”
The emails contradict public claims that health experts drove the policy, now placing pressure on Premier Jacinta Allan, the sole remaining member of the crisis cabinet that approved the curfew.
Mr Davis accused former Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews of acting as a “Lone Ranger,” stating: “She can’t hide under a rock given the damage that was done to Victorians by decisions she was intimately involved in.”
Mr Andrews previously defended the curfew, declaring on August 2, 2020: “These are tough choices but they’re the decisions I’ve taken because they’ll keep us safe.”
By September, he admitted he couldn’t specify who proposed the curfew but asserted: “These are decisions ultimately made by me.”
The documents emerged after the Victorian Court of Appeal rejected the government’s final bid to block their release last month.
A government spokeswoman maintained the curfew was “necessary to protect all Victorians and save lives,” developed alongside public health experts during an “unprecedented event.”
Mr Andrews did not respond to requests for comment.
