Victoria Hit For Six By Gang of Three
The Labor Government’s legislation which will allow an extension of the State of Emergency until March 2021 passed the Legislative Council by a single vote just before 2AM on Wednesday.
Labor passed the Bill with the help of Animal Justice Party MP Andy Meddick, Reason Party MP Fiona Patten and Greens MP Samantha Ratnam.
The Government used their numbers to gag debate and prevent the proper parliamentary process of meticulously scrutinising each clause of the legislation.
Western Victoria MP Mrs McArthur said, “These three MPs have betrayed their constituents and the state of Victoria, by giving this reckless Government more unrestricted powers to trample on individuals’ rights and freedoms.”
“They ought to join the Labor Party to be transparent about their voting record of being nothing more than a number for the Government.”
“The Greens no longer have a leg to stand on in regard to any of the supposed human rights issues over which they obsess. You cannot oppose mandatory offshore detention when you support the indefinite mandatory detention of Victorians.”
In her contribution to the Bill, Mrs McArthur said, “As we speak, we actually know of no plan or road map, but we are expected to vote on this legislation to extend the government’s powers without any indication of how they intend to use those powers.”
“Victoria has become victim to some of the most draconian restrictions in the world—restrictions that violate the most basic principles of human rights and individual liberty.”
“This state must be unlocked so that businesses can reopen and lives and livelihoods can be restored.”
“I totally reject the idea that only ‘experts‘ can tell us how we can live our lives and how we can manage something. This Parliament is the place where scrutiny of executive government should occur, and we should not hand over that responsibility to so-called experts, who in reality are just unelected bureaucrats.”
“We have been subject here to the harshest dictates in the world, but we have actually got the worst results in this country.”
“This legislation is offensive to common sense and truth, not to mention, a free society.”
“Victoria has had its own Ruby Princess. It was hotel quarantine—a Ruby Princess without the ship.”
“This government should never have open slather to use these extraordinary powers even when the threat is negligible or non-existent, especially without consistent and regular parliamentary scrutiny.”
2 September 2020