Health Minister Dr Mal Praktos appears to have misled the inquiry into the botched covid 19 quarantine program after claiming the first he knew he was the Western Plains Minister responsible for health policy was when he heard a radio report in May describing him as ‘the Minister for Health’.

This is despite the fact that Dr Praktos had issued numerous press releases saying how important he was now that he was Health Minister, signing all his letters as Health Minister and collecting a pay cheque as Health Minister for nearly three years.

Dr Praktos was questioned yesterday about when he first became aware that as Minister for Health, he might have some responsibility for health matters in Western Plains.

‘I wasn’t aware’ said Dr Praktos, ‘Until about 5 weeks ago. And you wouldn’t be asking me these questions if I wasn’t a woman’.

Asked when he first became aware that he was a woman, Dr Praktos said ‘About 5 minutes ago. It’s a queer old world, isn’t it?’ he or she said.