Bolt: Daniel Andrews’ ‘designated officers’ will worsen Victorian police state
Life in Daniel Andrews’ Victoria is about to become even more draconian, with the Premier now wanting the power to appoint “designated officers” who can lock up the rest of us without even a court hearing. And it’s frightening, writes Andrew Bolt.
Opinion
Don't miss out on the headlines from Opinion. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Victoria’s police state is about to get even nastier. Next: hiring almost anyone — even ethnic bosses — who can lock up Victorians on mere suspicion they’re a virus risk.
I never thought a democracy could be so easily frightened out of its freedoms by a messianic politician.
Premier Daniel Andrews has already banned public protests and had a pregnant mum arrested for advertising a protest on Facebook.
Now, even as new infections fell on Sunday to just 14, Andrews wants the power to appoint “designated officers” who can lock up the rest of us without even a court hearing. His COVID-19 (Emergency Measures) Bill, now before parliament, is frightening.
It lets the government appoint designated officers — with experience “or otherwise” — who can lock up anyone merely if they have a “reasonable” suspicion that person be “likely to refuse or fail to comply with” quarantine rules.
You don’t even have to have broken the law to be detained indefinitely. Some hired hand just needs to suspect you. And they can lock you away for an unspecified time, as long as they check every day whether you’re still dangerous, in their opinion.
And who are these people with this awesome power?
There is no limit in the Bill to who the government could appoint.
Attorney-General Jill Hennessy last week said they could be, say, “health services staff, WorkSafe officers …, Victoria Police members and Protective Services Officers”, or “individuals with particular attributes, such as connection to particular communities”, such as “employees of Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations” or “appropriate multicultural health organisations”.
Nor does this Bill say what makes their suspicion “reasonable” enough to take your freedom.
Nowhere does it say how long you can be locked up. Nowhere does it say what rights you have to a court review.
Yes, this will apparently last only until the state of emergency runs out next March — unless the government extends it yet again.
But how could something so draconian be contemplated for even a day?
And why is this necessary now? With infections so low?
No other state has needed this. I can’t think of another democracy — with more infections or fewer — that looks more like a police state than does Victoria, under Dan “Follow The Rules” Andrews.
You know the real sickness in this state? It’s not the virus but the contempt for liberty.