Calls for Sutton's deputy to resign over Captain Cook virus tweet
The state opposition has stepped up its attacks on the government’s senior health advisors after one of them publicly compared Captain Cook’s arrival in Australia 250 years ago with the deadly coronavirus pandemic.
Victoria's deputy Chief Health Officer Annaliese van Diemen used her personal twitter account on Wednesday to send the message, which drew an angry response a day later from Liberal frontbencher Tim Smith who dubbed the doctor’s tweet “culture wars crap”.
Deputy chief health officer Dr Annaliese van Diemen Credit:Justin McManus
Mr Smith's colleague, Liberal health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier called on Thursday for Dr van Diemen, who advises the government on communicable diseases, to resign.
The online post that sparked the reaction from the Liberals suggested that the arrival of HMB Endeavour in 1770 was comparable with the COVID-19 virus reaching these shores.
Dr van Diemen tweeted: “Sudden arrival of an invader from another land, decimating populations, creating terror. Forces the population to make enormous sacrifices & completely change how they live in order to survive. COVID19 or Cook 1770?”
Mr Smith, who has been a persistent critic of Dr van Diemen’s boss, Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton, was quick to respond on the same social media platform.
“What’s with the culture wars crap from a state health bureaucrat at a time like this?" the Liberal planning spokesman replied.
“Comparing the extraordinary first voyage of Captain Cook where he charted the East Coast of [Australia] for the first time to a deadly virus is disgraceful.
"You’ve lost the plot.”
Mr Smith used a newspaper column earlier on Thursday to take aim again at Professor Sutton for his advice to the Andrews Labor government that school children should continue to learn from home until more is known about the threat of COVID-19 to school communities.
The attack came after a series of late night tweets from the Kew MP this month accusing the Chief Health Officer of peddling “bullshit”in his advice to government.
Ms Crozier described Dr van Diemen's comment as "highly inappropriate".
"The comments by the deputy Chief Health Officer on social media are highly inappropriate at a time when Victoria remains in a state of emergency,"Ms Crozier said.
"She should resign.
"These are extraordinary comments from the deputy Chief Health Officer who has extraordinary powers and is the signatory of Victoria’s lockdown laws, the strictest in the country."
The offices of Health Minister Jenny Mikakos and Professor Sutton have both been contacted for comment.