An Andrews government plan that would see Victoria's State of Emergency powers extended to September 2021 is increasingly likely to be shot down in parliament when the bill is introduced next week.
An Andrews government plan that would see Victoria's State of Emergency powers extended to September 2021 is increasingly likely to be shot down in parliament when the bill is introduced next week. The Premier's self-proclaimed "insurance policy" would allow the Victoria government to extend a state of emergency in four-week blocks for up to 12 months as well as greater powers to enforce mandatory quarantine, COVID safe plans for businesses and mandatory mask-wearing.
Some MPs have indicated they would support a revised version of the plan that reduced the extension of powers to three months however Opposition Leader Michael O'Brien indicated his party would not support it. "It is extraordinary the level of intrusion and restriction we live under and no government, no politician should be able to do that indefinitely," Mr O'Brien told Sky News yesterday.
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Andrews wants to ‘remain as dictator Dan’ for another 12 months | Sky News AustraliaThe only thing Premier Daniel Andrews does not control in Victoria is the state’s upper house, which will be crucial in his pursuit to “remain as dictator Dan for at least another 12 months,” according to Sky News host Paul Murray.\n\nMr Andrews announced on Monday Victoria’s state of emergency will be extended for 12 months beyond the scheduled September 13 finish date. \n\nState of emergency powers allow the Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton to instruct his officials to detain people, search without warrants, and force lockdowns if it is considered a necessity in public health terms.\n\nHowever, the premier first needs to pass a bill to amend the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 in Victoria’s upper house where he needs 21 votes.\n\n“For this to be extended for another 12 months you need the upper house to approve it,” said Mr Murray.\n\nImage: Getty
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Daniel Andrews is turning Victoria into a ‘state of martial law’: Alan Jones | Sky News AustraliaSky News host Alan Jones says Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is making people “live like battery hens” with no epidemiological evidence to support his actions.\n\n“Here’s this bloke parading around … making people live like battery hens, and turning the state into a state of martial law,” Mr Jones said.\n\nHe pointed to a 2019 World Health Organisation directive on pandemics and epidemics which said quarantining and border closures were ineffective measures for pandemics.\n\n“He has no epidemiological evidence to support what he’s doing,” he said.\n\n“He has to be punished for it.”\n\nImage: Getty
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Andrews defends plan to keep Vic in state of emergency until Sept 2021 | Sky News AustraliaPremier Daniel Andrews has defended a plan to extend Victoria's State of Emergency powers that would not see them lifted until September 2021.\n\nFormer state premier Jeff Kennett registered his anger with Mr Andrews labelling him a 'megalomaniac'. \n\n'The Premier said he might keep the state of emergency in place until we have a vaccine - we may never have a vaccine,' he said.\n\n'Are we all going to be locked up at the whim of the premier without any checks and balances?\n\n'This is an act of a megalomaniac.'\n\nThe opposition indicated it would not support the bill meaning the premier would need four Upper-House crossbenchers to back it when it was introduced in parliament next week.\n\nThe powers would allow the Victoria government to extend a state of emergency in four-week blocks for up to 12 months as well as greater powers to enforce mandatory quarantine, COVID safe plans for businesses and mandatory mask-wearing.\n\nMr Andrews defended the plan and argued getting back to normal 'won't ever be an option' if the state could not 'protect what it had already achieved'.\n\n'Extending State of Emergency is about ensuring that we can legally make the changes our health experts need to keep us safe, he said. \n\n'This does not change how long our current lockdown will last, or increase the restrictions we face.'\n\nImage: Getty\n\n
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Vic State of Emergency extension nothing but 'a power grab' from Andrews | Sky News AustraliaVictoria Opposition Leader Michael O'Brien has labelled Premier Daniel Andrews' plan to extend state of emergency powers to September 2021, a 'power grab'.\n\nMr O'Brien said the reason state of emergency legislation only allowed for a six-month stretch period was because they were 'extraordinary powers'.\n\n'Victorians are going through curfews at the moment. Most businesses are closed down,' he said. \n\n'It is extraordinary the level of intrusion and restriction we live under and no government, no politician should be able to do that indefinitely.\n\n'Daniel Andrews has had that power for six months. He now wants it for 12 months with no accountability.'\n\nThe Liberal leader said he was willing to meet with the premier to discuss a timed extension for the state's reopening but said it was more important state parliament be allowed to sit.\n\n'There's no reason why parliament should not be sitting, for example, on a monthly basis... if the premier needs a month by month extension, he can make that case to the people of Victoria and if he's not prepared to do that, why should anyone give him a blank cheque?'\n\nMr O'Brien said he had not been contacted by Mr Andrews in months.\n\n'It's quite clear, Daniel Andrews only has a plan to keep us locked down. He doesn't have a plan to get us out of lockdown,' he said.\n\n'There is no justification for a year-long extension to these state of emergency powers.'\n\n'This is a premier who thinks he knows it all when Victoria is the only state going through a second wave because of his government's hotel quarantine failure.'\n\nImage: News Corp Australia\n
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Andrews labels 12-month extension of powers 'insurance policy' | Sky News AustraliaVictoria Premier Daniel Andrews has labelled his plan to extend State of Emergency powers until September 2021 an 'insurance policy' he 'certainly' hopes he will not have to use.\n\n'These restrictions will be in place for not one day longer than they need to be,' he said.\n\n'Unless we have a legal framework that sits behind that, then we won't be able to say to a publican, you can have 50 people in your pub. \n\n'We won't be able to say to a big workplace, you can stay open, but you will need to have a series of rules, plans and processes to make sure that you're keeping your staff and the community safe.' \n\nState Opposition Leader Michael O'Brien indicated his party would not support the bill meaning the premier would need four Upper-House crossbenchers to back it when it was introduced in parliament next week.\n\nThe powers would allow the Victoria government to extend a state of emergency in four-week blocks for up to 12 months as well as greater powers to enforce mandatory quarantine, COVID safe plans for businesses and mandatory mask-wearing.\n\n'Once we are past that second wave, in order to open up - in order to start the rebuilding process - we'll still need rules in place. Otherwise, we simply wouldn't be able to open up,' Mr Andrews said.\n\n'But until we get a vaccine, there's going to need to be rules, there's going to need to be a system, and a framework, to keep us safe, and to allow us to open up.'\n\nImage: Getty
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Frydenberg 'concerned' about Andrews govt state of emergency law | Sky News AustraliaTreasurer Josh Frydenberg says the Victorian government “has a lot of questions to answer” and he is concerned by Premier Daniel Andrews’ goal to extend emergency powers by a year.\n\nThe powers would allow the Victorian government to extend a state of emergency in four-week blocks for up to 12 months as well as greater powers to enforce mandatory quarantine, COVID safe plans for businesses and mandatory mask-wearing.\n\nMr Andrews defended the plan and argued getting back to normal 'won't ever be an option' if the state could not 'protect what it had already achieved'. \n\n“Victorians look at NSW and they ask, why not us,” Mr Frydenberg told parliament.\n\n“They look at New South Wales with lower number of cases and a lower number of deaths. \n\n“They look at the fact that in New South Wales there has been 315,000 jobs created in recent months.\n\n“I share those concerns, Mr Speaker, and the Victorian government has to explain its decision.\n\n“At the end of the day we will do everything to support Victorians get to the other side of this crisis, but the Victorian government has a lot of questions to answer.”\n
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