Former chief medical officer Brendan Murphy, who steered the Federal Government and the country through the initial outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, has been named the ACT's Australian of the Year.
"Thanks to his calm leadership, Australia was able to prevent the COVID-19 virus taking hold in the community during the first wave of the global pandemic."Professor Murphy left the chief medical officer role in June to take up his position as head of the Department of Health, an appointment that was temporarily put on hold due to the pandemic.
By September he was processing as many as 50,000 bottle caps a week that had been donated by schools, businesses, families and community groups from across the country. Writer and advocate Patricia Anderson was named the ACT's Senior Australian of the Year for her work in advancing the health of Indigenous people.
Wish he was still leading the response. Best Health Officer Australia has. CONGRATULATIONS.
Disgraceful
ACT Australian of the year has become a joke if this fool has been nominated! This is an insult! He was ScottyTheBully's mouth piece!
Who voted for this guy? The LNPCrimeFamily
You are joking! Who did this?
You are joking!
whaaat? NO.
Honestly he’s a public servant.
Isn’t it time that this ‘Australian of the Year’ crap was dropped? It’s so divisive & elitist & it’s very rare that someone who actually deserves the award receives it. It’s just a partisan way of awarding gongs to mates. Same as with the Order of Aust & Queen’s bday awards.
Lackey... and not even an epidemiologist
That’s utterly ridiculous. He was beyond unprofessional and somewhat hopelessly misinformed about pandemics.
That’s ridiculous
He didn’t lead ANYTHING!
this is a joke right?
A shocking decision for mine. Our Emergency Services Commissioner here in Canberra would have been far more deserving given her work during the bushfires.
thankfully state CMO's & Premiers Ignored Him
I dunno about this. Murphy seemed to be a Scomo puppet. The Premiers across the country did the hard yards, and their state medicos gave excellent advice.
FFS! That guy was the policy-supporting mouthpiece for the Federal Govt death cult. ThankGoodnessForDan covid19vic
Remember 2016 when Greg Hunt got the award for the Best Minister in the World. I still vomit at the thought.
What rot!
For doing his job?
I tried nominating Dan Andrews for Australian of the Year just to see Morrison hand him the award. Turns out sitting state and federal MPs can't be nominated.
State CHOs led the response
Embarrassing to accept this reward. Not deserving. The state CMO's should be getting accolades, not some Morrison puppet.
“Led”! Bahahaha
Why? For doing as ScottMorrisonMP asked him to?
Didn't he cross the line into LNP camp? Where's his impartiality ?
Very premature. No vaccine for ran virus. What happens in countries during winter. OUTBREAKS.
I hope Professor Murphy thanks VictorianCHO and DanielAndrewsMP for the nice award THEY WON FOR HIM!
This is a Chaser post, right?
Best joke of the day🙂
Just FRO. This fool should be sacked, not rewarded.
Why do we give all the grubs a pat on the back? Ffs
Isn’t he now a staffer of the LNPCrimeFamily ?
He didn't lead the response, each premier followed the advice of their CHO and got Australia through it.
Morrisons sychophant
Surprise, surprise..
Who decides this?
Now Morrisons crew are taking over the selection of 'awards' , smacks of political interference . Who are the people on this selection list ?
Ppfftt
Seems a bit weird to be giving an award to someone who gave bad advice that none of the states followed. But I'm sure there's no cronyism involved.... auspol
Pfft!
Who?
That’s a scandal. I sat and watched that guy talk about community transmission meaning there was nothing could be done to prevent the deaths in aged care.
It’s the only way ScottyFromMarketing could thank himself publicly without giving himself the award.
What a joke. Perhaps should be held to account for perpetuating the hoax pandemic rather than given an award.
🤣🤣🤣 this is funny.... Led 😂😂😂😂
The guy who says that masks are useless and schools are safe? Did he lead Australia in containing Covid? No. DanielAndrewsMP leads us. Thanks to the Labor Premiers! auspol
Lead the Federal response, you mean. We’ve done well in spite of the Feds, not because of them.
Aw come on. Now that's just taking the pss. Murphy's Covid response was politicised up to the wahoozie.
Bwahahahahahaha what a joke.
What for? Politicising infection control guidelines? Ignoring HCW in aged care? Attacking non LNP Premiers?
The only thing this guy led was the Morrison narrative He doesn’t lead he wears the leash agedcarescandal
Mr 'schools are safe, kids don't get the virus, masks don't work, herd immunity, suppression strategy.
He actually didn't. The states did, then worse, he colluded in the Aged Care Inquiry. Guy doesn't deserve anything.
I must have missed seeing the cut out nomination on the Weet Bix box. Clearly SloMo ScottMorrisonMP didn’t. He did nothing except flip flop on advice and be manipulated by the government. He’s what Trump is looking for!! jokeaward
Whatever happened to the last Australian of the Year? He never gets any media?
I remember plane loads of travellers flying on from USA & EU very late into the piece. And even later, airport terminals full of travellers who weren't being checked. Give him the lucky guy award.
He is being rewarded for blaming the workers and deflecting from the failures of national leadership: where was the PPE for aged care, how it the app going, how is getting stranded Aussies home, how is that national virus info campaign going, etc
Um. We, the great unwashed, the twittercrazies, don't agree.
Are you kidding? He was as wishy-washy as you could get. Had no confidence in anything he said.
Was this fixed? Was this the prize for misleading the public?
What a joke! Murphy couldn’t lead a dog on a chain. He was hopeless! We all relied onDr Norman Swan. He should be getting the award for all it’s worth.
Isn't he like on $800k a year ? Surely a volunteer or brilliant scientist would be a better choice.
👎👎👎😷
WTF?
The bloke who shook peoples’ hands on national TV after the public were told to social distance and sanitise
What a joke.
Morrison is not doing himself any favors. One bad decision after another. Vote him out!
Thank goodness for the state health officers. This guy is a bumbling idiot doing what Scotty and Hunt told him.
An absolute disgrace
not the right choice
ABCscience More covid hogwash
Is this some kind of sick joke?
BRENDAN MURPHY WAS INUTILE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID
BOOOOOOO!!!!!
While in America, Trump plans on firing its top-notch world-renowned infectious disease specialist right after ElectionDay. Fauci
Because it’s 2020, this award celebrates the mediocre? In that case, great choice
No mask Murphy? What a joke.
Well, he said we don't need to wear masks and don't need to be tested. Both wrong. In the first wave they tested only overseas passengers, because of that failure we ended up in lockdown. So congratulations I suppose...
Well deserved. I'm surprised at the negativity by some. I thought he handled the intense pressure with dignity, objectivity and honesty. Although all governments' failures to address the very real possibility of airborne transmission (later proved) drove me nuts at the time.
He did not lead the COVID-19 response.
HE DIDN'T LEAD THE RESPONSE. ALL THE PREMIERS AND TERRITORY LEADERS DID
March Bowtell is an adjunct professor at the Kirby Institute for infection and immunity at the University of New South Wales. He was the architect of Australia’s world-leading response to the AIDS epidemic several decades ago.
LOL
Lied and laughed about TAS HCW’s hosting illegal dinner parties spreading COVID19Aus when the truth was that they had NO adequate PPE from National stockpile and the infections came from treating Ruby Princess! Lied to RC about Aged Care Covid plan. Lied that schools being safe!
Murphy did NOT lead the response to the virus. He was slow, weak, understated the danger, banged on about ‘flattening the curve’ instead of containing it, which meant he was happy that many ppl would die in order to save the economy. Aus was saved by STATE Health officers
All he did was his job.
They are having a lend aren’t they
This is embarrassing!
One of the reasons for Prof Murphy's ACT award: he advised feds to close border to China (although he missed flow from US). His performance in the Agecare RC destroyed any bit of credibility he had. IMHO he isnt the best nomination for AotY award on covid-response. COVID19Aus
I couldn't think of a less deserving winner - oh wait yes I can Scott Morrison
No
More like followed
'led'... ?
Is this the bloke that said a 15min flight is low risk covid transmission? How many flights are 15 mins?
ACT Lab & Green leadership... do you support this crazy?
State CHO's were the heavy lifters really.
What a joke this is the guy that said it was ok to go to the footy & shake hands
Who
This is simply ridiculous. It’s his job as CMO to lead the COVID response. Easy to forget it was the State leaders who lead the way on lockdowns. Just another award for a LNP mate. 😞
Seriously? Get fucked.
Yuk
He DIDN'T lead Australia's Covid response he was MIA for most of it and the states did the real leadership role.
Pffft. As much credibility as the Ponds Institute.
Laughable - a total farce
The performance of Professor Paul Kelly, Deputy CMO, public health physician and epidemiologist, deserves mention.
🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑😬🐑😬
I think we need to examine the use of the word “led” in this context.
🤡
Led our performance!?! What utter BS. I remember him telling parents not to hug their kids just in case they were asymptomatic spreaders! He was all for the herd immunity route until state premiers locked down borders!!!
ABCscience Pathetic.
What an insult to the hard-working, ethical, non-political people who were nominated in the ACT. Murphy did not lead. Murphy lied, ignored science, covered up for Colbeck & said whatever ScottyTheBully instructed him to say. Thank dog we had great state CHOs. auspol covid19aus
New Australia!!! 🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️
ABCscience Brendan 'shaking hands is fine' Murphy
He'll always be 'Dr Handshake' to me.
What a joke!
They think they have the narrative. Don’t they know by now Twitter will see through them
When we had the chance to act and didn’t? When the Ruby Princess spewed the virus across the country and across the world. When there was no National plan prepared for managing the whole circus- still isn’t.
He led it the wrong way! Murphy Furphy.
The State CHOs led the way. He was Scotty’s Stooge! ScottysStooge
He was just doing his job. Nothing more
He didn't lead, HE WAS SHAKING HANDS in March & told Scotty 2 Go 2 the Footy! ALSO AgedCareScandal AgedCareCrisis
I would not have given that honour to him
You're kidding‼️ He was a sad figure when still working, an old bloke at the end of his career and losing his faculties. Remember the laugh about the nurses having a party in Tasmania, or that he said in January, 'There is no human to human transmission ...' of COVID19❓
Really?!
In his own word he said that Commonwealth has an overarching responsibility in aged care, where so many death occurred. But hey, let's name him Australian of the Year for being a good sycophant.
Imagine the CMO from every state being nominated. I doubt Murphy would have much of a show against the likes of Sutton (Vic) or Spurrier (SA).
What an absolute joke. He didn’t bloody do anything. Just another Puppet. whosgotthescissors✂️
Outrageous. Give it to normanswan and Prof Brett
Gracious!!!
He stinks
auspol
Wtf
He’s a muppet
He’s a muppet
Good grief. Scott Morrison handing out the medals to mates again.
I didn’t think politicalised representatives could be nominated!
This system is farcical! An award for doing what he’s paid to do! So many in the ACT going above & beyond this year, including so many volunteer firies. What a disrespectful choice.
hahahaha... The 'I think...' guy? Lol
Must have been for that performance at the recent enquiry where he was helping someone answer the questions
Noooooooo
Absolutely ridiculous! This must be a joke - the man was inept & right behind Scomo wanting to open us up early on.
GrogsGamut Well there goes that awards value .
Murphy belongs in Sweden!Fact!!! Thank god for the state Premiers and Brett Sutton in closing down schools, especially in Victoria!
Will he be receiving a Cartier watch ?
The man who didn’t think Dan Andrews was doing a good job?
So the guy who peddled false statements as fact and subsequently got banned from speaking in public, gets an award? Whaaaaat
Oh please! All Australians kno our ACT Australian of the year is either DanielAndrewsMP or Dr Swan!! Murphy was controlled by Morrison corrupt LNP, Not the Science!!
🤣🤪 What.a joke
This is disgraceful. This is the so called scientist who lied about masks to appease political masters.
You’re kidding!
Ummm .. I think the Premiers did the leading
Words fail me. His mate Morrison nominated him? Who knows. Utterly inept. What's he achieved during Covid other than presenting awkwardly. Same dude who offends and ridicules his own staff when CEO at The Austin.
He lead nothing ...
This will be fascinating to watch. He appeared highly politically compromised and infective in advocating for the protection of Australians. I look forward to learning what we don't know.
He was doing what he's paid for. Nothing more. And he got a plum gig out of it. Find someone more selfless, who doesn't sing the Morrison tune for a rich reward
I bet there's many hospital staff in NW Tasmania who violently object to this man being given this honour. Utterly hopeless.
giddyupbill The one who suggested maybe going herd immunity via kids?
WTF?
He knew there was a prize for Terrorism 🤦♂️ he is a NWO stain upon humanity like other rat bags 📣
Didn’t lead shit.
I can’t believe the ignorant insults on this thread. Prof Murphy led the country through the crucial initial period and implemented the nationwide level 3 lockdown when many bed wetters demanded level 4. He saved lives AND livelihoods. A national hero.
AHHAHHAHAHAHA
Brendan Murphy was Morrisons puppet, along with Glady. The only people that should be lauded is our State premiers and the Aust pl who saw Morrisons Suppression strategy for what it was, immoral Herd Immunity. Morrison+Murphy kicked back on ALL measures to contain the virus🤬
The undeserving keeps getting rewarded for their mediocrity.
How very disappointing
What a bloody joke. The guy is a bumbling idiot
You have got to be kidding.
GrogsGamut No, not him.
He’s the new Bettina Arndt
GrogsGamut Really?
Bullshit, caused panic buying said people should buy a little extra
They are so bereft of talent?
Is that THIS Brendan Murphy? “Well, I think the virus probably doesn’t last for more than a few hours.”
Waste of space
What the fk for!?
GrogsGamut Lol he's a LNP stooge, everything he said was ignored. If we followed his advice we'd be like the UK now.
GrogsGamut THERE WAS NOTHING TO LEAD, why do the ABC and media endlessly pretend we were all sick and dying. 12 times more pple got flu last year without this nonsense and flu is more dangerous to the young as the CDC study proves
GrogsGamut Led the response? He did nothing of the sort. The response was led by state CHOs
Hands down Australian of the Year must go to DanielAndrewsMP
My disappointment with this, was when he did do anything it was usually in criticism of the states and their response. Never forget how happy he was with his parents treatment at a nursing home and how unfair Dan was to find fault. Deflecting comments onto staff instead.
So wrong on so many levels
Who?
Who?
The sock puppet isn't
Led? He done sweet fuck all.
Which rocket he launched.. i didnt hear from him when Victoria was in this terrible journey..😉
Brendan Murphy, LNP stooge.
MANDY WAS ROBBED
What a farce, for the most part his role was disseminating propaganda. Thank goodness we had state premiers is charge and didn’t need to rely on this turkey.
I literally think this guy did nothing at all lol
Poor choice of the man who giggled like a schoolboy as he spread malicious gossip about an ‘illegal’ party of nurses being the cause of the COVID 19 outbreak in Tassie 😡
What
WTF scamo and him were the only voters
Why?!? He was talking about heard immunity when there was no evidence to back his position. Thank god for the state premiers and thier CMO's
Uncomfortable with this. Don't underestimate the hard work and pressure involved in the role. My perception was that his communications and advice were often political rather than based on solid medical and scientific evidence. GuardianAus
Led? Lol, no.
how embarrassing but appropriate. worst choice for our worst year.
That’s pathetic as usual. There must be some crappy people in the ACT if that’s the best you could do. He’s as weak as water. Disgusted.
It pays to be a partisan political hack!
Bizarre choice. Who made it and why?
Well deserved mate. You did a great job! 🥂🍾
Is no other Canberran actually competent at their job? 😮😮😮
Shakes hands on Insiders and talks about Herd Immunity State Medical Officers and Premiers who listen to them saved us
What an absolute fucking joke.
You MUST be fucking joking!
Sorry. WOT? show us what he actually did. No cohesion. The States did it all
What did he do?
U must be kidding!! His failings help let the virus into the country.
Led what now?
Shirley you can’t be serious !
Further evidence that the awards system in this country is rigged & seriously compromised. Far more deserving candidates than this LNP puppet.
Should see our Bretty get a knighthood then
Sick choice
What a load of
What a friggin joke🤮
They must be getting bloody desperate 🙄
This is a fucking joke right?
This prat led from behind, constantly having to revise his statements, cowtowing to the gov and what it wanted to hear. This is a travesty and denigrates the award.
Well, as appropriate as prince Phillip getting a gong from Abbott
Right, the dude pushing herd immunity. Great guy.
Is this a joke? And, isn't he Victorian?
Morrisons man. No servant of the people. He was found wanting.
He didn’t lead anything. Jaysus Mary. 🤦♀️
At Covid Senate inquiry in Sept 20 his answers were weak, insipid and full of the word 'if' ....not those of a leader across his domain. Needed to be replaced but got a bloody promotion instead ! Heavens knows what rewards await RColbeck who has redefined 'ineptitude'...
For just doing his job?
Why are twats most commonly picked for this? Look to ALL Australians...
😂🙅🏼♂️
Laughable
I thought I’d have a better chance and I know SFA about diseases.
Weren’t the state chief health officers actually doing all the hard work? Asking for myself?
Just a gentle reminder.
Why?
Someone's taking the piss surely.
Not sure I agree with it so I will just say nothing
Why? What did he do?
nothing but the federal gov's puppet, not independent at all.
Oh dear
He did not lead Australia's Covid response. The individual state premiers did. Not only is this a joke but it shows how much control the LNP have over the ABC. is nothing but an LNP mouthpiece. I hope all your funding is cut now.
What a joke. He might be a nice guy but this Covid response is out of sorts. We need the Swedish approach.
How? How does a government representative win such an award!! Is this standard practice in ACT?
🤦🏽♀️
SpinDoctor
Are you serious, he was inept as a CMO, then you have failure to push for safe guards in aged care, ignored the science....if not for our premiers and CHO we as a country would be so much worse off 😠
Why?
How ridiculous 😡😡😡
Is he not a political appointment as secretary of the Health Department? How inappropriate. Why not give the man a knighthood while we're at it?
Now that’s just another joke.
What , he didn't bring the WA CMO or QLD CMO into line He is suppose to be the Federal boss of health in Australia all CMO are lackeys , not independent
for what?
It's a worthless award. Let's move on.
Who Never remember seeing this bod He hardly put in an appearance unlike the daily ongoing hard hard work by the Vic CHO and Queensland CHO ? Scotty from marketing rewarding the bland sychophant Murphy, who said wearing face masks was unnecessary?
FFS
Morrison's stooge. Jeepers!
Who the hell put his name forward?
BrettSutton Or Norma Swan made a greater contribution.
What?
Typical lefty.
redonculous. The man was inept. But as far as the law of 2020 goes, typical.
Why? He didn't lead anything, he sucked up to Morrison, failed dismally on Aged Care and tried to sneak his way out of it.
Why?
What a joke.... auspol Brendan Murphy, who led Australia's COVID-19 response, named ACT Australian of the Year.
Can someone tell us what exactly HE did?
So many better candidates in the ACT. This is disappointing
We didn’t have a national strategy. He lead zero, zip, zilch. If anything, he was a hurdle sensible people had to clear
'Don't wear masks' Here have award 🙄
Australian of the year? For doing his job - poorly. Murphy is a political stooge for Morrison.
No masks needed response
The State CHO & CMOs did the Heavy Lifting.
All politicians are evil.
Bull shit boys “ Yes man “
The pandemic isn't over yet.
Who voted for this bought and paid for Gov muppet?
He did not lead Victoria's response,nor did he advise Colbeck on AgedCareScandal. That's plain for all to see. What bunkum.
What actually did he do?
Who?
That was their best candidate?
FFS, bureaucrat does a mediocre job at best, ACT Australian of the year, what a joke....
🤮 Scomos yes man, what a joke!
Why tho?
Is this a joke?!!!
wtf who chose that?
He didn’t lead anything A government sock puppet nothing more
Really I would have thought Scott Morrison would have nominated himself..😂😂
Are you fucking joking !!!
He gets paid big bucks to do his job. That should be sufficient
By his Boss Scumo, I bet.
Was that a Scomo captain’s call.
Oh please. He led nothing. He just wanted a high paying no responsibility job which he got. This voting committee are so corrupt
Gawd
Seriously!
I bet his Unamerican though Bill gates invented Vacines to die off half the population he is real life thanos google bill gates didnt invent 'vomputer but did invent vaccine' do it now before he censors me and other americans for telling you the truth. You Australians need vote
Isn't he the guy who supported Morrison's 'Schools are safe' propaganda?
What a joke!
Hahahahahah. It was the states that called the shots
Well deserved
History will remember Murphy as Morrison's lackey who put politics and his political ambitions above public health. But yes, by all means, let's give him a civic virtue award...
What?
Seriously
Coronavirus is a biological weapon used by Mongolia around the world! Coronavirus used by Mongolia in my home!
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