Victorians Thrown Under The Omnibus
Western Victoria MP Bev McArthur spoke in opposition to the controversial ‘Omnibus Bill’ in Parliament this week.
Mrs McArthur said, “You would think that under these circumstances the government, which has wielded historically unparalleled power and control over Victorians lives, would be now willing to relinquish that power and control.”
“Instead this government thinks the priority should be to amass more power instead of less.”
While clauses of the Bill which pertained to preventative detention were removed through amendments, Mrs McArthur argued “that the legislation should be rejected in its entirety.”
“The government’s intentions were to allow authorised officers to detain Victorians on the mere suspicion that they were likely to breach health directions.”
“If they had had their way, authorised officers would have been able to detain Victorians for suspected thought crimes.”
“There are more active cases in New South Wales [than in regional Victoria], where the state is open and the people are free, but on this side of the Murray River the authoritarian Labor Government want to legislate more powers for their political foot soldiers.”
Mrs McArthur sat on the Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations Committee which has a responsibility to advise the Parliament if legislation unduly trespasses on Victorians’ rights and freedoms.
Mrs McArthur said, “At no time in the history of this state have the rights of Victorians been so abused and so threatened.”
“The Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations Committee (SARC) should always be the upholder of those rights against the excesses of government, though, sadly and embarrassingly, this committee has abrogated its responsibilities.”
“I believe it has singularly failed in its duty, which is why I co-authored a Minority Report and ensured the public were encouraged to make submissions on the Bill.”
SARC received 13,000 submissions from the Victorian public in 72 hours, expressing their concerns about the impact of the Bill on human rights.
Twelve eminent barristers submitted to SARC that the Bill:
(a) is incompatible with the human rights set out in the charter;
(b) unduly trespasses upon rights and freedoms of Victorians and visitors to Victoria; and
(c) makes rights, freedoms or obligations dependent on insufficiently defined administrative powers.
Mrs McArthur said, “Sadly, SARC majority members and Reason Party MP, Fiona Patten opposed these submissions being published on the SARC website which is an unfortunate indictment of parliamentary democracy in this state.”
“There has never been such an assault on the human rights, liberties and freedoms of Victorians as we are witnessing currently.”
“This Bill will do nothing to keep us safe, but it will ensure more businesses close, more jobs are lost, and the health and welfare of more Victorians will be compromised.”
16 October 2020