Dan Tehan backs Daniel Andrews injury questions but refuses to say whether they’re fair
Dan Tehan #DanTehan
Questions implying a “cover up” over Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews’s injury without evidence are not “grassy knoll conspiracies” but a sign of a healthy democracy, says Dan Tehan.
Mr Andrews has been recuperating since suffering vertebrae damage and several broken ribs when he slipped on wet stairs at a holiday home in March.
The Victorian Premier has been largely out of the public eye as he recovered, though unfounded conspiracies over the fall have circulated online.
The Victorian government has demanded an apology from the opposition after opposition Treasury spokeswoman Louise Staley published a series of questions over the incident, raising the prospect of a “cover up” and demanding to know whether police were called.
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But federal Trade Minister Dan Tehan on Wednesday denied Ms Staley had stoked conspiracy theories, insisting oppositions had a “right to ask questions” in a well-functioning democracy.
“As I understand, it wasn’t grassy knoll conspiracy theories; a series of questions was asked by the opposition,” he told the ABC.
“Good on Louise Staley for asking questions as the opposition shadow treasurer.”
But Mr Tehan, a senior member of the Victorian Liberal Party, refused to answer when pressed on whether the questions were fair, claiming that judgment was “up to commentators”.
Mr Tehan’s comments mirror those of Victorian Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien on Tuesday.
Acting Premier James Merlino on Tuesday lashed Ms Staley’s “disgraceful act” as Melbourne endured its extended Covid-19 lockdown.
“We are dealing with a global pandemic for goodness sake,” he said.
“I treat it with the contempt that it deserves. This is more about how the Liberal Party treat people. No decency (and) no respect. They should be ashamed of themselves.”
Mr Merlino did not reveal whether he had spoken to Mr Andrews about the questions, saying he would “not spend much time on this”.
In a series of questions published on her website on Monday, Ms Staley suggested Mr Andrews should have his pay cut to that of a regular MP while out of action.
She also demanded to know whether Mr Andrews had been questioned by police in relation to “anything that occurred over that long weekend”.
There was no evidence suggesting police were involved in the incident.
Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas blasted the questions as “QAnon craziness” designed to create an “atmosphere of uncertainty”.
“I don’t think Dan Andrews drove the sub that took Harold Holt to China, he didn’t organise a fake moon landing,” he said.