Victorian MP Rod Barton sent death threats over support for pandemic laws

A Victorian MP has received vile threats after supporting the contentious pandemic bill, with huge changes to the proposed laws now revealed.

A Victorian MP has been sent death threats over his support of the government’s contentious pandemic laws, which will now get over the line.

The laws are expected to be enacted after the government secured enough votes for it to pass and conceded to several major amendments.

It required agonising negotiations with upper house MPs Rod Barton and Clifford Hayes.

A deal was struck with Mr Barton at the eleventh hour.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, he said the decision was necessary to avoid the threat of being locked out of other states once Victoria’s state of emergency expired in December.

Victorian MP Rod Barton received a barrage of abuse online for supporting the bill. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Paul Jeffers

“I’m comfortable with what we’re putting up,” Mr Barton said.

“This is a very different beast than what we had previously and we can’t compare where the bill started from - you can’t compare it with a state of emergency.”

Following his support, Mr Barton was subject to a barrage of abuse online including from a person who reportedly called for him to face the gallows.

Mr Barton was on Tuesday forced to make his Twitter account private.

Premier Daniel Andrews controversial pandemic bill is now expected to pass. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Sarah Matray

The deal forced the government to back down on a number of aspects of the bill, agreeing to several amendments to appease upper house MPs.

Among the changes are the establishment of a panel that will independently review appeals to detention enforced by public health orders.

Health orders will also be reviewed by a new parliamentary joint special committee.

The committee will be chaired by someone from the crossbench or opposition and will be required to have a minority number of government MPs.

Despite ongoing talks with Mr Hayes, he confirmed he would not support the bill due to both houses of parliament being unable to disallow health orders.

Sustainable Australia Party MP Clifford Hayes declined to support the bill despite exhaustive negotiations with the government. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Paul Jeffers

Transport Matters Party MP Rod Barton will support the bill. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Paul Jeffers

The state opposition maintained the new amendments were not satisfactory and criticised Mr Barton, claiming he had agreed to a secret backroom deal with the government.

“That’s typical of the opposition to come up with such a stupid comment like there are no deals,” Mr Barton said.

“My relationship with the government and myself is frosty at the best of times.

“I've been battling them all the time. I did what had to be done.”

Adem Somyurek made a shock return to parliament promising to vote against the bill. Picture: Tony Gough

The proposed new laws, which give the Premier the power to declare a pandemic on the advice of the chief health officer and Health Minister, were pushed through the lower house last month.

While the bill was initially expected to pass early this month, all momentum was lost when disgraced former Labor MP Adem Somyurek revealed he would return to parliament to block the bill, leaving the government with not enough votes to pass it.

Debate resumed in the upper house on Tuesday, but will likely go well into the night due to its contentious nature.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews arrives at Parliament House before the final votes are cast on the pandemic bill. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Paul Jeffers

The legislation has been divisive, inspiring large, sometimes violent protests in Melbourne.

A handful of protesters continued to stand outside Parliament House in Melbourne on Tuesday as debate continued inside.

Premier Daniel Andrews said the bill was necessary and long-term security was needed to address the global pandemic.

“The last couple of days have shown us that this is not over – these are extraordinary arrangements because a pandemic is an extraordinary thing,” he said.

“This is a one-in-100-year event and who knows when the next one will be? Who knows when the current things will end?”

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