Posted on 10/25/2021 4:20:22 PM PDT by naturalman1975
Dan Andrews could be given unprecedented power to shut down Victoria at will during a pandemic under sweeping proposed laws.
Revised State of Emergency legislation would strip out independent health advice from the decision-making process during pandemics.
And instead, the new laws would hand all control over to politicians without the need for doctors to sign off the public health orders.
Even if there were no cases in Victoria, the premier would be able to shut down businesses, restrict movement, ban public gatherings, and enact quarantine.
The new pandemic powers would last for blocks of 90 days at a time, regardless of the case numbers of a disease or its spread, reports the Herald Sun.
The proposed laws could come before the state parliament as soon as Tuesday.
According to a reported briefing of independent MPs in the state parliament on Monday, Mr Andrews hopes to have them in effect by December.
The existing state of emergency provisions are due to expire that month, and the premier is desperate to have the legislation revised and in place for the switch over.
The current state of emergency legislation has been in force since the Covid pandemic first hit Australia in March 2020.
Victoria's existing laws enforced Melbourne's six lockdowns, making the city endure the most cumulative days in Covid shutdown in the world until it ended last Friday after 262 days in total.
Those laws allowed the introduction of hotel quarantine, the restrictions on mass gatherings and business operations, and implemented mandatory mask wearing.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
This is the fight, conservatives in Victoria have been gearing up for. And unfortunately it's a fight that has been made ten times harder that it should have been by the hysterical misinformation and exaggerations that has at times been spread about what is actually going on in Victoria and Australia in general, including unfortunately at times, here on Freerepublic. Because compared to the lies, misinformation, and exaggerations, this power grab by Daniel Andrews doesn't sound as bad as it is. A lot of people will say "Well, all this type of stuff has already been happening, so why are you only worried now." No, that's the problem. It hasn't been anywhere near as bad as people have been trying to claim, so this is actually much worse. But it's been made so hard for us to make that case now because we have had to waste so much effort dealing with lies about MARTIAL LAW IN AUSTRALIA and similar crap like that.
Somebody, somewhere, seems to have decided that it's important for Americans to be convinced that one of their closest allies has been turned into some sort of fascist state and so many Americans have swallowed that type of propaganda wholesale.
I've seen people on Fox News asking if America should invade Australia to save it - it's one of the most stupid things I've seen in my life and I would have expected a news service like that to be asking which country has a large intelligence and propaganda service that might be trying to split Australia and the United States diplomatically right now? The answer really isn't that difficult.
Anyway - this is the fight we've been getting ready for here politically. Are we going to win? I honestly don't know. I'm pessimistic, I'm afraid. Andrews has an unassailable majority in the lower house of the Victorian Parliament, and in the upper house the balance of power is held by people from parties like the Greens, the Animal Justice Party, the Reason Party (used to be called the Sex Party - seriously, that was their name)... they are not all left wing crazies, but enough of them are, and some of them are so naive politically...
It could have been easier - if we hadn't had to be fighting overwrought manipulated conservatives as well as the real enemy.
The Police and Military have to tell Dan where to go
2nd amendment ping.
The military cannot and should not do a damned thing. This is a state government, not the Commonwealth government.
But, yes, police command should be making some sort of stand. Unfortunately, Andrews has compromised their political independence already.
Please do not believe the crap you’ve been fed about Australian gun laws - it’s just part of the same propaganda. Bringing guns into this isn’t helpful.
Just 3 short years ago would have diplomatically handed the Aussies their own arses yet you poo-poo it? You are just here to make noise.
God Speed, NM. Praying for y’all.
He was sacked for posting it on his personal Instagram account after the Age refused to run it.
Do you understand the concept of degrees of difference?
Some things are pretty bad here. I’ve never denied that and I’ve said it very clearly.
But Americans have been spoonfed a load of bullshit that is trying to make things in Australia look far worse than they are. And way too many of them just seem to swallow it whole.
And that makes it harder for us to actually deal with the real problems. Because they wind up sounding like we’re focusing on trivialities compared to the massive disasters people have been told are happening.
No, I’m not here to make noise. Quite the opposite. I’m the quiet voice trying to get people to focus on the real issues, while others are trying to distract them by making up more scary sounding things that aren’t actually happening.
2nd amendment ping...again.
They shoot lockdown protesters with rubber bullets in Melbourne, Australia which can main and kill and you play the part of the enraged mangin. How GOPe of you.
Our newly released from Afghan service troops should be put to a REAL liberation task !
When protesters attack police, I do support the right of police to defend themselves.
Peaceful protesters were not shot.
People who attacked the police were dealt with by less lethal rounds.
From what I see on the news, in America, your cops would have probably just killed them.
I live here. I know what is actually going on.
People like you have been fed propaganda and just swallow the shit and call it sugar.
There have been two instances I am aware of where I believe police went too far in terms of a physical response.
There have been far more where the police have been attacked.
There’s a reason why more police have been injured in these protests than protesters.
The police have also been horribly politicised by the state government - that’s a separate issue and the type of issue I’d like to be able to focus on rather than have to waste my time dealing with idiots who think people who throw bricks at police should be treated like innocent victims.
Taking advice on freedoms from an Australian man is a waste of time because they know jack-4hit about freedom and the women are in charge.
Oh, and when I see Americans fighting in the streets rather than just whinging online because they believe their last election was stolen, I might start taking the allegations that Australians are wimps for not constantly rioting a bit more seriously.
Your whole system of democracy has supposedly been stolen from you according to significant numbers of people on this site. But despite all your guns very few of you seem to be doing anything particularly obvious about it.
I can come to one of two conclusions. Americans are absolute talk-a-lot-do-nothing wimps. Having served alongside Americans in peace and war, I don’t believe that is true.
Or that many Americans are aware, like many Australians are (including myself) that there are other ways to deal with these matters besides fighting in the streets.
I’m focused on the things that I actually think will change things here rather than symbolic protests that might look dramatic in the media but really don’t accomplish much in the long run.
When all else fails, you may have to fight. If we reach that stage, I’ll do so. But I don’t believe we’re there yet.
Sic semper tyrannis.
Two-year jail terms loom for health order breaches under pandemic laws
Or a $90,000 fine...
Not what I'd call free.
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