Reports that only four per cent of fines issued for COVID-19 breaches have actually been paid, highlights the failure of COVID-19 enforcement under the Andrews Labor Government.
19,324 COVID-19 related fines have been issued as of 24 August. Only 845 have been paid, with a further 1,424 withdrawn or cancelled.
These figures come after months of inconsistent enforcement of Daniel Andrews’ ever-changing COVID-19 lockdown rules, which Victoria Police has acknowledged contain “genuine ambiguity”, including:
- Failure to fine a single attendee at June Black Lives Matter or July CFMEU protests
- Withdrawal of 15 incorrectly issued fines relating to a lawful gathering at a Southbank Party in July
- Traralgon couple Jazz and Garry Mott fined for posting photos on social media from a 2019 Lakes Entrance holiday
- 17 year old L-Plate driver fined, having the fine withdrawn and then being issued with a late notice, for conducting a driving lesson with her mother.
Furthermore, $4.7 million worth of fines have been issued in relation to breaches of Daniel Andrews’ captain’s call curfew – which was enforced despite lacking a recommendation by either the CHO or Victoria Police, and is now the subject of an ongoing legal challenge.
Due to Labor’s catastrophic failures of hotel quarantine and contact tracing, Victorians have been subjected to the longest and harshest lockdown in the nation. How can we have any confidence in Daniel Andrews when he can’t control his own government programs?
Comments attributable to Shadow Minister for Police and Community Safety, David Southwick:
“A bigger stick doesn’t equal better results and with Victorians having put up with months of Andrews’ backflips and inconsistency, it’s little wonder why so many fines remain unpaid.
“Why should any Victorian be asked to pay a fine when it’s so clearly one set of rules for Black Lives Matter and union protesters, and another set for everyone else?
“These many unpaid fines prove Victorians have no confidence in how Daniel Andrews has managed this pandemic. His rules clearly don’t make sense.”
