Health Minister Martin Foley said the omicron strain of COVID-19 has highlighted why the pandemic is not yet over.Credit:Chris Hopkins
Under thePublic Health and Wellbeing Amendment (Pandemic Management) Bill 2021 currently before the upper house,power to respond to a pandemic would be transferred from the chief health officer to the premier and health minister of the day.
“If these pandemic-specific arrangements are not in place,the option of extending the state of emergency,whilst not our preferred position,remains on the table,” Mr Foley said.
“That is not our intention. What we want to have in place is fair and proportionate arrangements that allow public health measures to keep us safe and keep us open.”
The government needs one more vote to pass the bill after former Labor minister Adem Somyurek,who has not voted on any legislation since anAgeand60 Minutesinvestigation exposed his industrial-scale branch stacking operation,announced he would return to Parliament tooppose the proposed laws.
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Deputy Liberal leader David Southwick called on Premier Daniel Andrews to “stop playing politics” and personally negotiate with the Opposition to pass the bill.
“The government should not be given this additional power without any types of checks and balances – that’s what we want and that’s what Victorians expect,” Mr Southwick said. “We’re willing to sit down with Daniel Andrews and to negotiate to ensure that we get fairness,and we get the kind of safety that’s in play,but also to ensure that we don’t see lockdowns happen again.”
Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes has been negotiating with crossbench MPsRod Barton and Clifford Hayes to break the deadlock ahead of the debate expected to resume on Tuesday.
Mr Barton on Sunday toldThe Age he did not expect to reach a decision until Tuesday morning,while Mr Hayes could not be reached for comment.
Transport Matters MP Rod Barton appears crucial to the government’s pandemic legislation.Credit:Joe Armao
“The discussions are ongoing,we won’t get a result today because we need to talk to our people over the next few days,” Mr Barton said. “We’ve got some more hurdles to cover.
“What are the government’s other options? They declare another state of emergency. A revised state of emergency would be better.”
Andy Meddick said he would reluctantly agree to support an extension of the state of emergency if all else fails.Credit:Eddie Jim
Jeff Bourman,a Shooters,Fishers and Farmers Party MP who is firmly opposed to the pandemic legislation,on Friday toldThe Age continuing the state of emergency appeared to be the government’s only fall-back option.
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The government would need the votes of at least four crossbench MPs – Fiona Patten,a key supporter of the pandemic-specific legislation,said she would not support an extension of that framework.
A spokeswoman for Animal Justice Party MP Andy Meddick,one of three crossbench MPs who supported the pandemic bill,said he would reluctantly agree to extending the state of emergency.
“We would feel we were forced into it because of the decisions of the crossbench,but we do not want Victoria to be left with no way to implement health orders,” the spokeswoman said.
“It’d be with great hesitancy and disappointment it got to this point because of other politicians politicising the pandemic.”
The Greens’ Samantha Ratnam,who also supports the pandemic bill,has been contacted for comment.
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