Take action on dangerous VIC Government power grab

On September 4^th the Andrews’ government narrowly passed the Public Health and Wellbeing Amendment (State of Emergency Extension and Other Matters) Bill 2020 with the help of three cross benchers - Greens, Reason Party and Animal Justice Party.

The bill extended the government’s emergency powers for a further six months and allows a state of emergency to be declared in rolling four-week blocks.

The Coalition, most cross benchers, and many thousands of concerned Victorians, including FamilyVoice supporters, opposed the extension of powers.

The Herald Sun (25th August 20) stated, “State of emergency powers allow our democratically elected governments to, for a limited time, impose a level of authoritarian rule. These powers, by their nature and ambit, are in essence the opposite of our cherished, democratic freedoms. If left open-ended, such extraordinary powers invite abuse and result in an incremental move towards authoritarianism.”

Now the Andrews government is trying to push through another radical piece of legislation – what former Victoria Police chief commissioner Kel Glare calls a “dangerous grab for unfettered power.”

The Covid-19 Omnibus (Emergency Measures) and Other Acts Amendment Bill 2020 allows the ongoing operation of essential services like courts, local governments, support payments, permits, hearings and renewals etc.

Dangerously, however, the bill also gives authorised officers - anyone nominated by the Department of Health and Human Services - the right to detain, as long as necessary, those whom they deem to be a serious risk to public health.

Victorians would not even need to be diagnosed with COVID-19 to be subject to detention, but merely a "close contact" of someone with the virus - and authorised officers’ decisions would be difficult to contest.

Significant abuses of power and the disregarding of checks and balances have already occurred during the state government’s mishandling of the Covid-19 outbreak. The government should not be handed open-ended permission to trample the rights of Victorians.

The bill has already passed the state’s lower house. Please tell upper house MPs that you are not happy with the Andrews governments power grab and that the ‘Omnibus’ bill must be amended.

Or use this link below to enter your address, then > region > view member. Send an email to the address provided, letting your representative politely know how you feel.

https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/about/electorates

Victoria’s Upper House members of parliament by region

Eastern Metropolitan

Bruce Atkinson bruce.atkinson@parliament.vic.gov.au;

Matthew Back matthew.bach@parliament.vic.gov.au;

Rodney Barton Rodney.Barton@parliament.vic.gov.au;

Shaun Leane shaun.leane@parliament.vic.gov.au;

Sonja Terpstra Sonja.Terpstra@parliament.vic.gov.au;

Eastern Victoria

Melina Bath melina.bath@parliament.vic.gov.au;

Jeff Bourman jeff.bourman@parliament.vic.gov.au;

Jane Garrett jane.garrett@parliament.vic.gov.au;