The Andrews government's pandemic laws are in tatters with former minister Adem Somyurek declaring he will vote against the bill in its current form.
Key points:
- Mr Somyurek was ousted from the party due to a branch-stacking scandal
- He says the pandemic bill does not have enough 'checks and balances on powers'
- Legal groups and business associations have raised concerns against the bill
Mr Somyurek, who was forced out of the party due to a branch stacking scandal, will return to parliament from a long self-imposed absence on Thursday to vote against the laws.
Writing in the Herald Sun, Mr Somyurek said the bill did not have enough checks and balances on powers handed to the Premier.
"Had I continued to be a member of the Andrews cabinet, I would have argued this bill is a bad idea because it gives too much power to the government," he wrote.
"I will not support this bill in its current form, and I would encourage the government to go back to the drawing board and consult more broadly."
He said he wanted to have input on a new bill.
The government is racing against the clock to create new powers, otherwise it may not have the legal framework to enforce and create rules to manage COVID-19.
It cannot extend the state of emergency beyond December 15 — unlike other states, the powers are finite.
Legal groups, business associations, the state opposition and protesters have all raised concerns with the proposed pandemic laws.
Mr Somyurek said the proposed oversight mechanisms were inadequate and he was worried about the powers it would not just grant the Andrews government but future Victorian governments.
"Since I did not trust the opposition (Coalition) with such power I would argue that without meaningful parliamentary oversight and independent review mechanisms, as Victorians, we all risk the prospect of being unjustly governed by a Coalition despot in the future," he said.
Mr Somyurek's intervention is likely to force the government to delay a vote on the bill and make dramatic changes.
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2021-11-17 12:16:47Z
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