Decision on Victoria’s troubled pandemic laws looms over MPs heads

The fate of the Victorian government’s pandemic laws is in the hands of two crossbenchers, with a decision expected soon.

A decision on Victoria’s controversial pandemic laws could be made within days, with the government now in talks with key crossbenchers to get the bill over the line.

Crossbench MPs who could be swayed to vote in favour of the legislation have handed over a list of demands to the government.

The government was last week forced to alter a number of details in the bill, including halving fines for health order breaches and slashing release times for pandemic decisions, after pressure from crossbenchers.

But the alterations did not appease the upper house, with the government ultimately failing to secure enough votes amid the shock return of disgraced MP Adem Somyurek, who refused to support the legislation, resulting in an adjournment.

Daniel Andrews has been trying to get the laws over the line for the past two weeks.

As talks with key crossbenchers continued on Thursday, Premier Daniel Andrews said the government was open to changes including more oversight and the ability to appeal detention orders.

“We don’t have a majority in the upper house,” he told reporters.

“That’s the upper house that the Victorian community gave us and we just do our best to get things done.”

Health Minister Martin Foley and Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes are reportedly in negotiation talks with two key crossbenchers Clifford Hayes and Rod Barton.

Clifford Hayes

Rod Barton

The pair are expected to be locked in talks with the senior government ministers through the night, but a decision likely won’t be reached on Thursday night.

“I’m not going to support anything that’s not in the interests of the Victorian people,” Mr Clifford said.

David Davis, the leader of the opposition in the Legislative Council, on Thursday urged the crossbenchers to “hold strong”.

“I hope that they say no to these rules,” Mr Davis said.

“There should have been broad consultation from the start ... across the whole parliament and across the whole community, including particularly with the business community.

“These laws will not provide certainty or predictability – they will provide a way for a trigger-happy Daniel Andrews to lock the state down again and again.”

Unions have urged MPs to put aside politics.

It comes as union leaders on Thursday urged MPs to place politics aside to get the “important” laws over the line.

Lisa Fitzpatrick, from the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, said health workers needed to have certainty after being under the pump in the midst of the pandemic for nearly two years.

“This is playing with people’s lives, so it has to stop,” she said.

“We have a pandemic and we desperately need your help.”

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