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Victoria Police Chief Confirms Second Air Wing Flight, Calls It Operational Training

He apologises for the Hobart conference trip, facing demands for a full accounting of costs or any impact.

Overview

  • Mike Bush said the July 29 flight was an Air Wing familiarisation that also involved time with the Special Operations Group, Critical Incident Response Team and Bomb Response Unit.
  • He maintained that only the October 20 journey to Hobart was non-operational travel, which he called a wrong decision that did not pass the pub test.
  • Victoria Police said the Hobart flight used a backup training helicopter within contracted monthly hours, with only small extra accommodation costs and no loss of operational capacity.
  • Victoria Police confirmed the chief commissioner's wife took a separate 10-minute flight on June 28 after an invitation from a senior Air Wing member, with Bush not onboard.
  • Opposition Leader Brad Battin pressed for transparency on costs, standards and any effect on community safety as more flight details became public.