The Victorian Liberal Nationals will act to protect Victorians from the most dangerous laws in our state’s history.
Daniel Andrews’ new pandemic legislation would give him the power to lockdown Victorians, close businesses, schools, playgrounds and keep families apart without any independent oversight or right of appeal.
These laws have been widely criticised by legal and social experts including theVictorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commissioner, Law Institute of Victoria, Victorian Bar, Human Rights Law Centre and several multicultural organisations.
The Victorian Liberal Nationals have committed that a future Matthew Guy led Government will repeal these laws as its first act.
Additionally, the Victorian Liberal Nationals will move 18 amendments to protect Victorians from the most dangerous elements of this Bill, including;
- Add explicit reference to the Public Health and Wellbeing Act’s principles of evidence-based decision making, accountability, proportionality, collaboration, prevention and precaution to pandemic declarations and orders (amendment 1)
- Limit extensions to pandemic declarations to one month (instead of 3 months) and subject to; (amendment 2)
- A statement outlining the justification and objectives of the extension (amendment 3)
- A three-fifths majority vote of both Houses of Parliament (amendment 3)
- The ability of Parliament to repeal its approval for an extension (amendment 4)
These new laws aren’t about helping Victorians recover and rebuild from COVID but about making it easier for Daniel Andrews to control people’s lives.
Instead of handing more power to the person that got us in this mess, we need a new plan to keep Victoria open and rebuild our economy, mental health and social wellbeing.