– Stage 3 Restrictions Reimposed
– Parliament Must Not be Delayed
– Business Needs Further Support
From Midnight Wednesday 8th July, Stage 3 Stay at Home Restrictions will again be applied across metro Melbourne for the next six weeks.
This is on top of the looming border closure between Victoria and NSW, the suburbs already in lockdown and the even heavier restrictions that have been placed on the residents of the Flemington and North Melbourne housing towers in my electorate of Northern Metropolitan.
This is disappointing to everyone. It’s tiring. But we simply must get on top of this and this lockdown is the right choice.
The cases of Covid-19 have been rising across the city, in particular by way of community transmission. So, for the benefit of everyone, we have to put down the shutters again.
I feel for the businesses across the city that have been through a rollercoaster ride with hopes for reopening over the past four months only for us to end up back here again. They will require immediate and ongoing support.
There are of course questions to be asked about how this happened or whether the government response has been adequate or appropriate in places such as the housing towers lockdown in North Melbourne and Flemington; whether hotels used in quarantine were managed correctly or if authorities were given the resources they need.
The time for those questions to be asked and answered I hope will come soon.
Beyond the Judicial Inquiry into Hotel Quarantine by Justice Jennifer Coate, I will be writing to Premier Dan Andrews and the Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council, Minister Jaclyn Symes, urging them not to delay the resumption of Parliament.
The Parliament has important work to do ensuring that all Victorians are being heard during this crisis. We should muster every resource we can, make any and all legislative arrangements that need to be made so that all Victorians are supported during this pandemic.
For now, we must Stay at home. Get tested. Socially distance. Wash your hands and sanitise regularly. Wear a mask when you feel you need to.
At some point this will end.
All quotes are attributable to Fiona Patten MP, Leader of the Reason Party Member for Northern Metropolitan.
– Ends –
