Green With Hypocrisy
The Parliament of Victoria should be sitting: asking vital questions in a crisis and getting answers about why Victorians remain locked in their homes.
But one crossbench MP, the Greens’ Samantha Ratnam, seems to have forgotten that her own vote slammed the doors in Spring Street shut.
Member for Western Victoria, Bev McArthur, said every crossbench MP who also voted for the suspension of Parliament should be held to account.
Those Legislative Council MPs joining Ms Ratnam were Andy Meddick (Animal Justice Party), Fiona Patten (Reason Party), Rod Barton (Transport Matters Party), Jeff Bourman (Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party), Catherine Cumming (Independent) and Clifford Hayes (Sustainable Australia Party).
“Each of these MPs has voted for the House not to sit following the advice of an unelected health bureaucrat,” Mrs McArthur said.
“These unelected bureaucrats are the same ones telling the Premier that playgrounds must be closed and masks are mandatory for people working in isolated country paddocks, that the aged can’t be visited and children can’t go to school.
“I can assure you, the number of people contacting my office is increasing and so is their desperation.
“They want this Government held to account. They want to know - via the Parliament - the science and `expert medical advice’ that is behind the draconian, life-threatening COVID-19 rules.
“It is why the crossbench bears huge responsibility here.
“And yet, the Greens Leader, Samantha Ratnam – who has voted for every suspension of parliament, State of Emergency powers and the extension of the State of Emergency powers until December 16th 2021 - is now pretending she cares about scrutiny,” Mrs McArthur said.
Ms Ratnam has this week argued for parliament to sit via video link.
She told The Age, “Without the check and balance on power that Parliament provides, the government is dodging scrutiny at a time when it matters most.”
“But Ms Ratnam voted for the parliament not to sit – and for the Premier’s Gang of Eight to rule the state as an autocratic, unaccountable dictatorship,” Mrs McArthur said.
“She parades like a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
“As for Andy Meddick: he’s more worried about protecting bugs than protecting people from a virus and the unscientific decrees that are destroying lives, not saving them.
“Fiona Patten demonstrated more enthusiasm for ridding the Parliament of the Lord’s Prayer, than saving Victorians.”
In suspending Parliament again this week, the Premier said it was more important that he gets people vaccinated than gives speeches in Parliament.
“If he was the person doing the vaccinating, then that might be true. But he is not,” Mrs McArthur said.
“His job is to be in the parliament. Every MP’s job is to be in the parliament on behalf of the people.
“The pandemic should be managed to protect vulnerable people, not political careers.
“Given the Premier has finally admitted that zero COVID-cases is impossible, he should immediately recall the Parliament.
“If the crossbench members really cared about scrutiny, they would be queued up outside the Premier’s office, banging on his door demanding democracy.”
03 September 2021