Ambulance Victoria blames senior management over illegal COVID-19 funeral gathering

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Ambulance Victoria is under fire over a secret funeral held while Victorians lived under strict pandemic lockdown conditions.  Details of the funeral of a former paramedic attended by Ambulance Victoria staff have only now been made public as part of a parliamentary inquiry. Blame is being placed at the feet of senior managers who have already left the organisation.

Transcript

00:00While Melbournians remained under a COVID curfew in September 2021

00:06and ambulances lined up outside overburdened hospitals,

00:13three dozen Ambulance Victoria staff attended a secret funeral gathering for a former paramedic.

00:19It was not appropriate behaviour, particularly at a time when all of us in the community

00:25were working really hard together to follow the rules.

00:27At the time, Melbourne was under a Stage 4 lockdown and funerals were restricted to just 10 people.

00:34These events should not have occurred.

00:37The commemoration, out of public view at an Ambulance Victoria site in Bayswater,

00:42involved 40 staff, allegedly given the OK by then-CEO Tony Walker.

00:47There's no question they were trying to hang this event on one individual

00:50who worked in the CEO's office, basically performing an administrative function.

00:55The Ambulance Victoria Pipes and Drums Band played at the event,

00:59where ambulances with lights flashing formed a guard of honour

01:02and paramedics, agency staff and leadership attended.

01:06This was a matter that was referred to IBAC.

01:09It was subsequently referred back to AV and an investigation was undertaken.

01:15The matter has been dealt with as we deal with a lot of internal matters.

01:18I don't believe that there has been any intention to cover it up.

01:21The details of the funeral were only revealed in an anonymous submission

01:25to a parliamentary inquiry into Ambulance Victoria.

01:28If the government now have any details in relation to this that's put community at risk,

01:33that's covered up for people within the department, then that should all become public.

01:37Victoria Police referred our questions about any past or present investigation to IBAC,

01:42which doesn't comment on investigations.

01:44I'm confident that AV took appropriate action at that time

01:49in terms of an investigation and consequences for those that are involved.

01:55In accordance with our policies and procedures,

01:57there was people subject to disemory processes.

02:01What those consequences were,

02:03neither Ambulance Victoria nor the state government would say.

02:07But Ambulance Victoria has vowed to cooperate with the parliamentary inquiry,

02:11which was due to report in August.

02:13What?

02:22Let's go.

02:22Let's do it.

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