Premier cites pandemic as he defends bombshell report

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• By Avi Yemini

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Victorian Premier Dan Andrews has offered his 'deepest condolences' as an independent report linked triple-zero and ambulance delays to 33 deaths in the past few months.

The Inspector General's report controversially released over the weekend follows calls from Victoria’s firefighters union for Emergency Services Minister Jacyln Symes to resign over the damning report.

The union contributed to Labor's ascension to leadership in 2014 and will alarm the Andrews government as the state prepares to head to the polls next month.

#BREAKING: Dan Andrews BLAMES Covid for the 33 who died waiting for ambulances.

The premier apologised to people “affected by the pandemic”, not his failures.

Sickening.

At least he didn’t blame the previous government like Jeremy Hewitt from Suncorp bank.

— Avi Yemini (@OzraeliAvi) September 5, 2022

The Premier cited the Covid-19 pandemic as an excuse for the shocking results, which will come as cold comfort to the families of the deceased.

“It was a period of surge unlike any other that we have ever experienced, much more prolonged, much more intense than, say a bushfire event, much more prolonged and intense than say, thunderstorm asthma, or any similar event,” Andrews said.

“I would point out that coming into this pandemic event ESTA had met so many of its important benchmarks and, in fact, exceeded them, so I want to thank the staff at call takers dispatches the whole team.”

Andrews said that the government had heavily invested in ESTA, (Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority).