Inside Dan Andrews’ secret plan to make far-reaching pandemic laws PERMANENT after controversial 21-month state of emergency brought in relentless lockdowns
- Dan Andrews government in secret meetings with three MPs over pandemic bill
- Victorian government wants to implement new and sweeping ‘pandemic laws’
- State government has brought in many lockdowns under the controversial rules
- New pandemic laws would make it easier for enforcement in future health crises
Daniel Andrews’ government is in secret negotiations with three MPs to try and introduce controversial new pandemic laws, reports suggest.
The Victorian government wants to replace state of emergency laws with permanent pandemic laws that would allow authorities to enforce lockdowns and quarantine for any future health crises, The Age has revealed.
The opposition Liberal Party – who said the proposed laws are not transparent enough – do not have a say in them, because the government will only negotiate with three minor MPs in order to pass the new laws.
It would allow the Victorian government to impose sweeping rules on its people with a moment’s notice, after millions endured a year of relentless Covid-19 lockdowns.
The Andrews government has become notorious for snap lockdowns, leaving thousands out of work and school despite other states handling outbreaks with no such draconian orders.
Dan Andrews’ (pictured) government is in secret negotiations with three MPs to try and introduce controversial new pandemic laws
Victorians have already endured several lockdowns during the pandemic (pictured, Melburnians checking into a supermarket on June 4)
This includes a three-month-long lockdown in July 2020, as well as a two-week-long lockdown which finished on Friday.
The polarising Victorian leader was seen on video for the first time in months on Sunday after getting his Covid-19 vaccine and announcing his return to work after three months off.
Mr Andrews said the broken vertebra he suffered on March 9 during the fall at a holiday rental house in Sorrento, south-east of Melbourne, had ‘almost fully healed’.
He broke five ribs and fractured his T7 vertabra in the fall.
Conspiracy theories over his injury and hiatus from public appearances began circulating shortly after.
Victorian Greens leader Samantha Ratnam (pictured) wants police to record the racial profile of each person they stop during a pandemic in exchange for agreeing to the pandemic laws
Melbourne has just been released from another crippling two-week lockdown (pictured, the city’s empty streets on June 11)
However, Mr Andrews quickly quashed these rumours when he told Ambulance Victoria to release a statement about their role in his treatment following questions from the state’s opposition leader.
Greens leader Samantha Ratnam, Animal Justice Party MP Andy Meddick and Reason Party MP Fiona Patten are making demands in exchange for getting the controversial pandemic bill through Parliament, including mandatory records of the racial appearance of people fined for pandemic rule-breaking.
The Victorian government has been able to enforce controversial lockdowns, mandatory mask-wearing and quarantine because in March 2020 it created a state of emergency – which is usually used for weather events like floods and fire.
The state of emergency has been extended twice, for six and then nine months, but the new laws are expected to be passed by December when the current emergency provisions run out.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews received a dose of the Pfizer vaccine at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne on Wednesday
Mr Andrew’s government wants to replace the temporary state of emergency laws – which need to be passed through Parliament to be extended or changed – with permanent powers that apply when a health pandemic hits.
The cross-benchers are understood to be insisting the government prevent what they consider overreaches, such as a snap lockdown of nine public housing towers in 2020 and expensive fines for Covid-19 breaches.
The Greens are demanding police record the racial profile of each person they stop during a pandemic to prevent ‘any bias or racism’ within the police.
‘We would also like to protect disadvantaged members of the community from disproportionate impacts of lockdown, including public housing residents, people of colour and young people from low-income families,’ Greens MP Samantha Read said.
The two other MPs have indicated they want more public transparency around health directives, although the exact details of the new law are yet to be decided.
Reason Party MP Fiona Patten (left) and Animal Justice Party MP Andy Meddick (right)
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