Melbourne MPs were urgently advised to fly or drive to Canberra before midnight to attend parliament next week, just before Victorian government announced a snap statewide lockdown.
Speculation mounted throughout Friday morning that a lockdown was imminent due to the worsening hotel quarantine cluster, with 13 cases linked to the outbreak.
Premier Daniel Andrews later confirmed a five-day stage 4 lockdown applying to all of Victoria from 11.59pm tonight.
An email seen by NCA NewsWire that was sent to MPs hours before that announcement said it was “highly recommended any Members who are in the greater Melbourne area bring forward their travel plans to arrive in Canberra today, Friday, February 12.
“There are currently no border restrictions for Victoria with the ACT, except for individuals who have been in the exposure sites connected with the outbreak.
“We understand that chief health officers are meeting to discuss the developing situation. We will circulate any relevant updates on the situation from ACT Health when available.”
Federal MPs based in the state’s capital were on Friday morning urgently booking seats on commercial flights to get to the ACT in time for the sitting fortnight of federal parliament.
Federal Labor MP Julian Hill is among the members making the dash from VIC to the ACT. He is in the middle of a seven-hour drive to the nation’s capital and said there was considerable traffic.
“I packed a bag last night just in case,” Mr Hill told NCA NewsWire. “I’m on the road at the moment in central Victoria and it seems like a pretty crowded highway.
“We have an obligation to be present for the sitting periods of national parliament so I agree with the recall to Canberra.”
The PM was in Melbourne on Friday, but insisted it was not his role to “run commentaries on premiers”.
He said he had not been briefed by the Victorian government and refused to speculate on Premier Andrews’ announcement.
“I will let the Premier … weigh up the things that he has to weigh up in making any decisions here in Victoria,” he told reporters.
“I don’t think it would be fair for me to be making comments in advance of what he may or may not announce. I think that is the right thing for public confidence.”
He denied the outbreak would prompt the Therapeutic Goods Administration to issue emergency approval for the AstraZeneca vaccine.
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