Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary Chris Eccles resigns.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/breaking-news/victorian-department-of-premier-a...


Premier Daniel Andrews says his right hand man Chris Eccles “made the right choice” by resigning.

Mr Eccles, the Secretary of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, resigned effective immediately on Monday morning over bombshell phone records.

They revealed he had spoken to former Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton for two minutes during a crucial six-minute window being probed by the hotel quarantine inquiry.
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Mr Eccles confirmed his resignation in a statement just before 10am.

Mr Andrews addressed the media two hours later and said it was “very sad” Mr Eccles’s 35 years of public service had ended in the way it had.

The Premier said Mr Eccles offered his resignation almost immediately once he had reviewed his phone records.

“I believe that he has made the right choice,” Mr Andrews said.

“He made a decision that his position was untenable.”

In a statement released earlier on Monday, Mr Andrews had acknowledged Mr Eccles’s decades of public service across governments in three states and the Commonwealth.

“(I) thank him for the significant contribution he has made to Victoria. I wish him all the very best,” he said.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said Chris Eccles made the right choice. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Daniel Pockett