Credlin, a Liberal insider and Sky News host, grilled Mr Andrews over Secretary of the Department of Premier and Cabinet Chris Eccles’ departure – the second high-profile resignation for the State Government in recent weeks after former health minister Jenny Mikakos called it quits.

Despite repeatedly telling the hotel quarantine inquiry he could not recall whose decision it was to use private security, Mr Eccles revealed in the statement announcing his resignation it was he who called former Victoria Police Commissioner Graham Ashton, and spoke with him for “just over two minutes”.

While Mr Eccles maintained his telephone records did not in “any way” mean that he – or anyone else in at the Department of Premier and Cabinet – made the decision that private security should be used in the hotel quarantine, Credlin asked whether the admission meant Mr Andrews had given misleading evidence to the inquiry.

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The Premier grew increasingly frustrated as his back-and-forth with Credlin wore on, telling her she was failing to actually ask him a question and instead making “long statements”.

After Credlin confirmed a number of details with Mr Andrews, she said: “Interestingly, when you carefully read through the evidence of Eccles, en route to a place where he would call (Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions Secretary, Simon) Phemister, he walked through the anteroom, spoke to your chief of staff, and briefed her in detail according to Mr Eccles’ evidence about the decision of National Cabinet which was not known to anyone in public service, that it would require immediate hotel quarantine of incoming passengers, so the only two people are – and National Cabinet was well underway, was your decision by Mr Eccles – he told chief of staff who then told Mr Phemister. He has given evidence, so has Mr Ashton, and your chief of staff and yourself. I understand phone records will come, but there is no evidence leaked by her into the inquiry and no statement.”

The Premier confirmed that was true.

“As to what she knew and what discussions she had in relation to private security,” Credlin said.

“And your question is?” Mr Andrews said.

Credlin replied: “Did your chief of staff, while you were in National Cabinet, and your secretary who departed at 12 noon, in that period of time did your chief of staff have conversations with anyone in relation to private security before the National Cabinet decision was known publicly?”

“I’m not quite sure, you have just put it to me that she did not know until after the meeting broke,” the Premier responded.

“No, I’m not putting that to you,” Credlin said.

“You did put that to me,” Mr Andrews interjected.

“She was told by Mr Eccles and he said that in his evidence when he left the room at 12,” Credlin said.

“I’m still unclear. You are free to make long statements but if you have a question, please ask me the question. I want to be as accurate as I can be. I need to know what I am being asked and then I am more than happy to try and answer you,” the Premier said.

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Credlin replied: “When Mr Eccles left the room at 12 o’clock he told your chief of staff that there was a decision in relation to National Cabinet to stand up hotel quarantine of incoming passengers, and then he called Mr Phemister, and told him to look at hotel rooms and transport only, and that’s on evidence of Mr Phemister and Mr Eccles.

“The one person’s evidence we don’t have is your chief of staff, and somewhere in that period of time, between then and this call by Mr Eccles at 1:17 to Mr Ashton that gave him comfort that private security will be used, sometime between 12 and 1:17pm, your chief of staff was informed that the National Cabinet decision was made and work was under way in the Victorian public service and I were contained even your private office to look at private security arrangements.”

Having finally gotten to the bottom of Credlin’s question, Mr Andrews said matters as to “who would perform functions within the hotel quarantine program are operational decisions, not decisions made by me, nor any member of my private office staff, so that’s the first answer”.

“Beyond that, as to who is called and who was not called, who is required or asked to provide information or details to the board of inquiry, that is entirely a matter for the board,” he said.

“All the evidence that has been led has come from requests that the board has made, or the 300,000 pages of documents. Again, they have come from requests. The most recent request of the board were phone records, they will be provided in full accordance with the terms of the request made.

“But on the broader issue or any contention that anybody in my private office would be making operational decisions like that, that is simply not right.”

It’s not the first time Credlin has ambushed Mr Andrews’ during his daily press conference — last Friday, she grilled him on why crucial phone records had not been handed over to the hotel quarantine inquiry.

— with NCA NewsWire