801 Deaths – Cannot be forgotten or ignored
Update September 2021
On the 27 March 2020 the Victorian government started its Covid-19 hotel quarantine program. The program was a management disaster. This lead directly to Covid-19 breaking out across Victoria allegedly resulting in 801 deaths.
Self-Employed Australia is campaigning to push the Victorian WorkSafe Authority to do its job to investigate and prosecute the Victorian government. This page gives links to our campaign activity as well as information and facts on why, at law, prosecutions should occur.
Video: WorkSafe Must Prosecute. Television Advert
Video: Victorian OHS Campaign. WorkSafe Failing
The Case for the Prosecution
We’ve produced a 20,000 word ‘brief’ that explains why the Victorian Government, departments and senior persons must be prosecuted. The analysis draws on the evidence from the Coate Inquiry. We’ve supplied this to the Victorian Director of Prosecutions (DPP).
Here’s
- Our 50-page, 20,000-word analysis/brief
- Our letter to the DPP (9 August 2021)
- An overview
The Coate Report says the quarantine program was a “catastrophe waiting to happen” a “disaster that tragically came to be” caused by “lack of leadership and oversight.”
Ken Phillips explains the report (8 minutes)
Video: Who we are. Why our Victorian OHS campaign
Key Events & Facts
There has been much correspondence between SEA and WorkSafe. Here are the key events. See below for further correspondence.
Event One: Our letter to WorkSafe (29 September 2020) and its reply (7 October 2020)
This triggered that WorkSafe is required at law to investigate the government and to inform us within 9 months if it is prosecuting.
Event Two: We ask WorkSafe about its investigation processes. (4 January 2021).
Event Three (a): 9-month point—WorkSafe say they are still investigating not prosecuting. (29 June 2021)
Event Three (b): We refer the matter to the Director of Public Prosecution.
Key fact A: We explain how the work safety laws apply to the Victorian government over the failed quarantine.
Key Fact B: We explain why the Covid pandemic was not unprecedented and was fully expected and planned for, BUT the Victorian government forgot(?) to do a hotel quarantine plan!
Watch this video (4 min): 
Key documents:
- Our letter to WorkSafe 29 September 2020
- Our letter to WorkSafe 29 June 2021 – Go to the DPP
- Section 131
- Indictable criminal offences under the Occupational Health and Safety Act
Other relevant correspondence:
- We ask for unions to be investigated in relation to private security selection. (27 September 2020)
- WorkSafe’s letter to us (17 December 2020.
- Our letter to WorkSafe (18 December 2020.
- WorkSafe letter to us 4 March 2021
- WorkSafe confirm they are investigating: here. (11 March 2021)
- WorkSafe letter to us 29 June 2021
Relevant documents:
- Guidelines on Infection Control &Prevention In Hotel Industry.
- Health Advice for Hotel Industry on serving guests with history of travel to or resided in the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) affected areas.
- Preventing Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) Guidelines for Hotels.
- The role of the hotel industry in the response to emerging epidemics: a case study of SARS in 2003 and H1N1 swine flu in 2009 in Hong Kong.
All SEA Campaign News from March 2020
Videos about OHS Prosecution
