ABC's Q&A episode on Monday night quickly dissolved into chaos as the Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack brought up Melbourne's Black Lives Matter protests as a reason for a spike in coronavirus cases.

The subject came out of nowhere for host Hamish Macdonald, who asked whether or not the rest of Australia could trust Victoria's contact tracing system.

Why isn’t there a system in place to ensure the people allowed to leave on compassionate grounds can return home again? #QandA pic.twitter.com/t1rAboArO4

— QandA (@QandA) September 7, 2020

“Well let’s wait and see. At the moment we haven’t been able to do that,” said Mr McCormack, who is the leader of the National Party.

“The public health officials have to do that tracking and tracing. That is the key.”

“That isn’t my question. Can we trust-” Macdonald interjected.

“We haven’t been able to so far,” said McCormack.

“We have had that outbreak because of the security guards, who did the wrong thing. We had that outbreak because of a family who gathered in too large a number. We had the outbreak in Victoria because of a protest rally.”

Macdonald was quick to interject, saying “Sorry, what’s the evidence of the protest rally leading to the outbreak?”

“Well there were three confirmed cases from one of those protest rallies," McCormack explained.

“Are you saying that’s led to the outbreak?” Macdonald asked.

“It didn’t help the situation,” said McCormack.

It was at this point that Macdonald corrected the statement.

“Sorry, you’re drawing a link that I’m not sure is substantiated in fact.”
McCormack didn't back down. 

“When the second wave occurred, they were the three reasons that were given. It was the security failure, it was the family that gathered in too large numbers-”

“I’m not sure there is any actual evidence that the Black Lives Matter protest led to this outbreak,” Macdonald quickly interjected.

The other guests on the panel watched on, including Dr Omar Khorshid, President of the Australian Medical Association.

MacDonald called on Dr Khorshid to give his opinion.

“With respect, Deputy Prime Minister, we do know what happened in Victoria. We know that the processes around hotel quarantine failed, the virus was able to get into some community groups,” Dr Khorshid said.

“And then the contact tracing and the public health response was too slow. The lockdowns and restrictions were too slow.”

“Omar, is there any evidence that the Black Lives Matter protest led to the outbreak?” Macdonald asked.

“No. I’m certainly not aware of any evidence that the Black Lives Matter protest resulted in the outbreak in Victoria,” said Dr Khorshid.

“But I would agree that congregating in large numbers at the moment does not make sense. But we shouldn’t be hiding from the real causes of the outbreak.”

Labor’s Shadow Home Affairs Minister, Kristina Keneally was also on the panel and gave her opinion about what the Deputy Prime Minister had said.

“I’m gobsmacked by what I heard from the Deputy Prime Minister,” she said.

“Trying to assert that this second wave in Victoria is linked directly to the Black Lives Matter protest. I mean, that is an alternative fact, Trumpism, make up your own reality.”