Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has signalled his government is willing to negotiate with crossbench MPs to get a controversial new law through parliament that would give state officials the power to detain people considered a high risk of spreading COVID-19.
Under the proposed law, health authorities could forcibly detain people they suspect would be likely to spread the virus. The rules could be applied to conspiracy theorists who refuse to self-isolate or severely drug-affected or mentally impaired people who do not have the capacity to quarantine.
The body representing Victoria’s barristers has written to the Andrews government warning the proposed laws could breach the state’s human rights charter and allow citizens to be placed in arbitrary detention.
The Omnibus (Emergency Measures) Bill, which passed the government-controlled lower house on Friday also allows the government to expand its ranks of authorised officers to include PSOs, WorkSafe inspectors and non-government workers.
The opposition will not support the bill meaning the government will need support from the crossbench to get it through parliament’s upper house. Reason Party leader Fiona Patten will oppose the bill and the Greens have expressed opposition to components of the law….
Read full article on The Age’s website.
