The Victorian government is demanding an apology from the state opposition for suggesting Premier Daniel Andrews covered up the circumstances of his serious back injury.
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Mr Andrews broke several ribs and suffered an acute compression fracture of the T7 vertebra after slipping on stairs at a holiday home on the Mornington Peninsula on March 9.
The 48-year-old was released from hospital on March 15 and has been recovering at home since.
There have been various unfounded rumours circulating online since Mr Andrews' fall, including that the incident occurred at the home of businessman Lindsay Fox.
No credible evidence has been presented to support the claim, which has been denied.
But Shadow Treasurer Louise Staley issued a media release on Monday listing 12 questions she wants the premier to answer before he returns to work later this month.
Questions included what time an ambulance was called and whether Mr Andrews was "interviewed either formally or informally by the police in relation to anything that occurred over that long weekend".
"If there is no cover-up then there is no reason not to provide answers to these simple questions," the Liberal MP said.
It prompted an angry rebuke from the Secretary of the Victorian Ambulance Union Danny Hill, who said it was "stupid and offensive to suggest that ambulance crews are involved in an elaborate conspiracy".
Ambulance Victoria released a statement on Tuesday confirming paramedics were dispatched at 6.47am and arrived at the Sorrento home where Mr Andrews was staying at 7.01am.
Ms Staley doubled down on Tuesday, saying many Victorians have been asking the same questions.
"It's months since this happened and yet nobody's got footage of the stairs. Nobody's got really any idea where it happened," she told reporters outside parliament.
Ms Staley denied she was peddling conspiracy theories.
"The easiest way to stop any of these conspiracy theories - which I'm not playing into - is for these questions to be answered," she said.
Opposition Leader Michael O'Brien defended his colleague, describing her questions as "legitimate".
"I'm not suggesting for a second that anything the premier's office has said about the premier's accident or his condition is untrue. No one's suggesting that," he said.
"It's simply a case of we don't necessarily know the whole truth."
Deputy Premier James Merlino, who has been acting premier in Mr Andrews' absence, said the opposition should be "ashamed of themselves".
"For the Liberal Party to act as they have, reflects on them, reflects on how they treat people - no decency, no respect," he said.
He joined Treasurer Tim Pallas and senior government minister Martin Pakula in demanding the opposition apologise to the premier.
"This is nonsense. We know it's nonsense. It's QAnon craziness peddled around the community to create an atmosphere of uncertainty," Mr Pallas said.
"What happened to Daniel Andrews was an unfortunate, indeed very serious spinal injury that he's recovering from and there's nothing more to it."
"These sort of mad conspiracy theories are not worthy of a person who wants to be treasurer, a party that wants to be the government," Mr Pakula added.
Their colleague, upper house MP Shaun Leane described the move as a "new low" for the opposition.
"It's just been a standard that you respect people's privacy when they've been ill or injured and respect the reason why," he said.
Mr Merlino said Mr Andrews was on track to return to work later this month, once he receives the all-clear from his doctors.
Australian Associated Press
