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Victoria's top doctor Brett Sutton told lawyers they didn't need to hand over emails to the hotel quarantine inquiry that show he knew about disastrous decision to use private security guards

Victorian Chief Medical Officer Brett Sutton had told the inquiry into the hotel quarantine he did not know private security was even in the hotels until they were the site of COVID-19 outbreaks in May. 

Professor Sutton has now been asked to provide a new statement after the inquiry heard on Tuesday an email had emerged clearly showing he was told of the plan from March 27.

But his lawyers told the inquiry the top doctor did not feel he needed to provide the email chain because he had not read it in detail.

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Travellers arrive at the Crown Promenade Hotel in Melbourne on March 29. Emails have clearly showed Chief Medical Officer Brett Sutton was told of the plan to use private security from March 27

Travellers arrive at the Crown Promenade Hotel in Melbourne on March 29. Emails have clearly showed Chief Medical Officer Brett Sutton was told of the plan to use private security from March 27

'Professor Sutton instructed us he had not read the detail of the email at the time and that the evidence he gave to the Board was truthful at the time and remains so,' the email presented to the inquiry from health department lawyers said.

'In other words, Professor Sutton stands by the evidence which was provided honestly.' 

The email chain had showed the chief medical officer copied into discussions about private security before the program officially kicked off. 

The email from the DHHS to the inquiry said: 'Professor Sutton further instructed us that he did not consider he needed to clarify his evidence and therefore the email did not need to be provided to the Board for that reason.'

Tony Neal QC, the counsel assisting Victoria’s hotel quarantine inquiry, said the emails had not been produced by Victoria's health department despite it being asked to hand over everything that related to the program. 

Quarantine breaches involving private security guards seeded 99 per cent of Victoria’s deadly second wave of COVID infections, the inquiry has heard. 

Mr Sutton was included on an email chain discussing the use of private security on the evening of March 27. 

Professor Brett Sutton faced the hotel quarantine inquiry last month and said he was not aware private security guards were being hired to work in quarantine hotels until outbreaks began at the facilities in May

Professor Brett Sutton faced the hotel quarantine inquiry last month and said he was not aware private security guards were being hired to work in quarantine hotels until outbreaks began at the facilities in May

Last month the inquiry was shown shocking photos of quarantine guests walking freely to a convenience store from a Melbourne facility

Last month the inquiry was shown shocking photos of quarantine guests walking freely to a convenience store from a Melbourne facility

Another exchange included him between March 30 and July 2. 

Professor Sutton has now been asked to submit a second statement to the inquiry explaining his previous evidence that he was unaware private security had been used in hotels until much later. 

He has seven days to comply with the request. 

The revelations could lead to more people being recalled to the inquiry to explain previous evidence. 

March 27 email copying in Professor Brett Sutton

The inquiry heard the 'penultimate email' in the chain is from Mr Braedan Hogan, Deputy Director Strategy and Policy DHHS advises Commonwealth officials amongst other things that:

'Private security has been contracted to provide security at the hotels with escalation arrangements to Vic Pol as needed'.

Professor Sutton is included in copy to this penultimate email and himself, by separate email, acknowledges its receipt with the words ‘thanks so much, Braedan’.

On its face this email has relevance to the time at which Professor Sutton had knowledge of the use of private security within the Hotel Quarantine Program. 

His evidence before the Inquiry was that he was unaware of it until media reports concerning the outbreak at the Rydges Hotel in May this year came to his attention.   

Mr Neal said the emails covered 'matters that occupied a very considerable amount of the board’s time' during the inquiry.

'You retired judge Jennifer Coate, who is leading the may consider it adds some weight in one direction or another to your deliberations as to who was in charge for the detention regime,' he said.

When questioned about the email exchange last weekend, Professor Sutton told reporters the detail had 'not registered' with him.  

An email was copied into Professor Brett Sutton discussing the use of private security on March 27. He responded thanking the sender

An email was copied into Professor Brett Sutton discussing the use of private security on March 27. He responded thanking the sender

Shocking footage and photos emerged in August of hotel quarantine guards asleep on the job in Melbourne

Shocking footage and photos emerged in August of hotel quarantine guards asleep on the job in Melbourne

The Age reported Professor Sutton claimed he had seen and responded to the email but that its reference to private security had not registered with him before he passed it on and that he had played no part in a decision by the Health Department to withhold the document from the inquiry.  

Last month, Professor Sutton had told the inquiry he believed private security was the 'wrong cohort' for the state's bungled hotel quarantine scheme.  

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has apologised for his government's disastrous decision to use private security guards at quarantine hotels. 

'Mistakes have been made in this program and answers are required,' Mr Andrews said. 

The bungle is estimated to be costing Victoria anywhere up to $400million a day with fears the current lockdown could run as high as $25billion. 

Dozens of security guards ended up catching coronavirus from quarantined returned travellers while working in the hotels. 

Shocking footage and photos emerged in August from an ABC Four Corners investigation of hotel quarantine guards asleep on the job in Melbourne.

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