The law states that there is a maximum six-month limit on a declaration of a State of Emergency, which is due to expire on 16 September 2020. The State of Emergency vests enormous power with the Premier and a small number of unelected officials with very little capacity for oversight and accountability.
The State of Emergency is the legal framework under which the current wide-ranging restrictions on people’s lives and livelihoods including restrictions on leaving your own home, business closures, travel bans, quarantine arrangements and curfews are made.
This is absolutely unacceptable to the Victorian Liberal.
That is why the Liberal will vigorously oppose the Andrews Labor Government’s proposal to amend the Public Health and Wellbeing Act to permit the extension of State of Emergency powers for a further six months.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Andrews Labor Government has been extending the State of Emergency in four-week blocks and, if it is absolutely necessary to further extend the State of Emergency this is our preferred approach, but that the Parliament, not the Government, consider whether to extend on a month by month basis.
I note with grave concern recent media reports that the Andrews Labor Government has reached a deal with sufficient members to the cross bench in the Legislative Council to extend for six months State of Emergency powers under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008.
The Liberals will oppose a twelve or six month extension of draconian powers as proposed by Andrews and Labor.
- We will not support any extension beyond one month and then only where both Houses of Parliament agree and the Government is forced to explain its demand and additional transparency measures are put in place.
- We will oppose outright the widening of the definition of the COVID-19 epidemic in clause three.
- We will oppose outright the expansion of the Chief Health Officer’s powers sought by Andrews in clause five
- We will seek to confine any extension of powers to COVID-19 alone.
- We will demand proper accountability measures with the use of Public Health Orders, including tabling briefings and full explanations.
- We will introduce a clause that enables either House of Parliament to disallow aberrant Public Health Orders and we will require the Parliament to sit at least monthly during any state of emergency.
Andrews and Labor have closed down accountability and scrutiny. Despite exercising the most extreme powers used in Victoria’s history, they refuse to provide basic information, have closed the Lower House down for months at a stretch and sought to prevent the Upper House sitting. This is simply not good enough. With great power comes increased need for accountability and scrutiny. We will vigorously oppose Labor’s grab for power and seek to enforce accountability on the use of these draconian powers. See my views here.