Health Minister Jenny Mikakos says she didn't know security guards were being used in Victoria's hotel quarantine program until a coronavirus outbreak at a hotel in mid-May.
In a written submission to the hotel quarantine inquiry, the minister has distanced herself from the fateful decision to use the guards instead of police or Australian Defence Force personnel.
"I was not part of any decision-making process to use private security contractors as part of the HQP (hotel quarantine program)," Ms Mikakos' statement reads.
She said she first became aware of the decision following an outbreak among security guards and hotel staff at the Rydges on Swanston in mid-May.
About 9 in 10 second wave cases of coronavirus in Victoria can be traced back to the outbreak.
A second outbreak among security staff occurred at the Stamford Plaza in June.
Around that time, Ms Mikakos said she began to push for the removal of security contractors from the program.
The inquiry has previously heard Ms Mikakos' Department of Health and Human Services was the "control agency" for the pandemic response.
But the Department of Jobs, Precints and Regions were responsible for setting up the hotel quarantine program and contracting hotels and security.
Ms Mikakos said the multi-agency response meant there were "too many cooks spoiling the broth".
"It became apparent to me that the DHHS lacked any contractual levers with either the hotels or security contractors and that this was a significant weakness in how the program had been structured," she wrote her statement.
In late June, responsibility for the program was transferred to the Department of Justice.
Knowing what she knows now, Ms Mikakos said she would not support the use of private security in the program.
"In my view, there is no 'silver bullet' workforce to respond to the risk of a highly-contagious virus but there is an unacceptable risk in using a largely unskilled and casualised workforce, as we have seen recently also in the private aged care sector," she said.
She said the virus was so contagious even healthcare workers in high-level personal protective equipment have caught the virus.
"As have clinicians from the ADF working at testing sites wearing PPE, as have members of Victoria Police wearing PPE," Ms Mikakos said.
While Mr Pakula's Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions was tasked with contracting hotels and security companies for the program, he said the DHHS held "overall responsibility".
Ms Mikakos' evidence before the inquiry continues.
Premier Daniel Andrews will appear on Friday afternoon in its final week of public hearings.
