Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has made his first pandemic declaration since the controversial powers came into effect amid mass public and political outrage.
pandemic powers officially became law on Dec. 7 after a mammoth 21-hour debate in the Victorian Parliament over recently added amendments.
new legislation, which is set to expire on Jan. 12, was made to replace the existing emergency framework, which will come to an end on Dec. 15 – marking 640 days since it was first introduced on Mar. 16, 2020.
Set to be the first of its kind, the pandemic law will strip the power to declare a pandemic from the Chief Health Officer and be transferred to the Premier, who will have the authority to extend it in three-month blocks.
It will also grant Andrews Government the power to create pandemic laws that can discriminate against Victorians based on personal attributes such as vaccination status, as well as social and economic factors.
“We’ve learned a lot over the past two years of this global pandemic,” the Premier said on Dec. 10.
“Now, we’re applying these lessons to manage pandemics in the future, support our public health system, keep Victorians safe and keep our vaccinated economy open.”
In early December, Andrews noted that the pandemic would not be “not over” even after the expiration date of the state of emergency.
“In order to protect the vulnerable, in order to keep us safe and keep us open, we have to recognise this is not over, there are still things that have to be done, rules that need to be in place,” he said.
He also said vaccine mandates “won’t be forever” but flagged they may still remain in effect until booster shots were rolled out and children under 12 were vaccinated.
Shadow Attorney-General Matt Bach pointed out that there was still “no effective Parliamentary oversight” despite the introduction of a bipartisan committee to review pandemic orders.
“ Labor Government’s most recent rushed amendments to its pandemic lockdown laws go nowhere near far enough,” Bach told SkyNews.com.au on Wednesday.
“ Premier would still have huge power to lock Victoria down again.”
Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said on Dec. 2 he was disappointed that the bill was passed and reaffirmed his commitment to scuttle it if he wins the 2022 election.
“It is bad policy, bad laws, which are rammed through the parliament with no consultation or very limited consultation and that come at the expense of average Victorians.”
In addition, Victorian health authorities are continuing to investigate nine possible Omicron cases of the virus as the state recorded 1,290 coronavirus cases and two deaths.
re are currently three confirmed cases of the new strain in the state, all of them linked to international travel.
Premier has reiterated the state is not chasing an “Omicron zero strategy”, describing it as unachievable.
Victoria’s double-dose vaccination rate for those 12 and up sits at 91.9 percent, as the state prepares to begin rolling out Pfizer doses to five- to 11-year-olds from January 10 after final approval from Australia’s immunisation advisory body.
Pezou : Victorian Premier Makes ‘Pandemic Declaration’ for the First Time