Victorian Premier Dan Andrews is facing ongoing criticism after revealing he planned to extend his state of emergency declaration for another 12 months.
The declaration, which gives Victoria’s chief health officer Professor Brett Sutton the power to immediately enforce coronavirus measures without parliamentary approval, is due to end next month.
Legislation also restricts state of emergency declarations to a maximum of six months, however Mr Andrews hopes to push this out to 12 months.
Mr Andrews took to Twitter to issue a late night defence of the extension, reminding Victorians that the state of emergency is needed to give the state’s chief health officer the power to enforce coronavirus measures.
The extension is due to be debated in State Parliament next week – if Parliament is able to return – however the Premier is already facing a barrage of criticism.
Despite the criticism from Mr Andrews’ political opponents, a former head of the Australian Medical Association disputed the furore.
Dr Tony Bartone, the former head of the AMA, said Victoria needed to find a way to emerge from lockdown safely but the state’s health authorities also needed the authority to enforce measures if necessary.
“It is about having the necessary ability to allow the chief health officer's directives to be enforced,” Dr Bartone told Today.
“But already we are seeing signs in the community, in my patients, that really this is starting to take a toll and we really need to find a way where we can come out of it and live in a post-COVID world until the vaccine comes along, and really it is getting to be a bit of a struggle at the moment out there.
“The chief health officer's directives need that framework to be able to be enforced. With those measures, the mask-wearing, the quarantine, the restriction on gatherings, these have all been important measures that have been able to assist us in getting on top of that.”
Former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett blasted the extension and said Mr Andrews was a “megalomaniac” attempting a “grab for dictatorial power”.
Victorian Opposition leader Michael O’Brien did the rounds on breakfast TV this morning to lash the Premier.
“I don't believe any politician deserves a blank cheque particularly when we see how tough Victorians are doing it,” Mr O’Brien told Today.
“People have been locked out of jobs, kids locked out of schools. The problem is Daniel Andrews has a plan for lockdown for 12 months but he doesn't have a plan to get us back to work. That’s what Victorians want. We want optimism.”
Mr O’Brien called on the Premier to “justify why these extraordinary powers should be extended”.
“And they certainly shouldn't be extended for 12 months with a stroke of a pen,” he said.
“There is a reason why in law the state of emergency can only exist for six months, and that's because this is the most intrusive circumstances Victorians have ever lived under.
“We have never had a curfew before. We have never seen all the schools closed and told we have to wear masks. When you have these powers, it is important that the politicians are accountable to the people when they use those powers.”
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Victoria recorded 116 new cases yesterday – its lowest daily total in two months – prompting optimism from the state. Greater Melbourne is also more than halfway through its stage 4 lockdown, with hopes the strict curfew and other measures could be lifted on September 13.
However, Mr O’Brien said the state of emergency announcement was like a “kick in the guts” for Victorians.
“I‘m not saying on September 13 Victoria can go from stage 4 to stage 0. I’m not suggesting that. What I’m suggesting is any extension must be strictly time limited and must be justified.
“Daniel Andrews is not explaining to Victorians the information he has got, he is not explaining our pathway out of lockdown. The only message we are getting from him is he wants the power to keep the lockdown going for up to 12 months,” Mr O’Brien said.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Mr Andrews said he hoped parliament would allow him to extend the state of emergency for 12 months.
“All we ask for is to make a relatively minor change to the public health and well-being act, and to make sure that the law of our state reflects and is equal to the challenge that our state faces,” he said.
The current lockdown, which includes a curfew between 8pm and 5am, was introduced on August 2 when case numbers spiked to 621. The Premier declared a state of disaster and brought in the Australian Defence Force to begin doorknocking.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMipQFodHRwczovL3d3dy5uZXdzLmNvbS5hdS93b3JsZC9jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy9hdXN0cmFsaWEvY29yb25hdmlydXMtdmljdG9yaWEtcGxhbnMtdG8tZXh0ZW5kLXN0YXRlLW9mLWVtZXJnZW5jeS1mb3ItMTItbW9udGhzL25ld3Mtc3RvcnkvZmVmZDQ0NjVhNjRhODgwNGYwMTY0NDg5YjQyZGEzNTDSAaUBaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAubmV3cy5jb20uYXUvd29ybGQvY29yb25hdmlydXMvYXVzdHJhbGlhL2Nvcm9uYXZpcnVzLXZpY3RvcmlhLXBsYW5zLXRvLWV4dGVuZC1zdGF0ZS1vZi1lbWVyZ2VuY3ktZm9yLTEyLW1vbnRocy9uZXdzLXN0b3J5L2ZlZmQ0NDY1YTY0YTg4MDRmMDE2NDQ4OWI0MmRhMzUw?oc=5
2020-08-25 00:01:47Z
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