Government reforms, independent COVID-19 reviews left hanging

Four bills will lapse in the Victorian parliament and leave the Andrews government’s agenda on child safety and patient data unfinished before the November state election, outraging the opposition which will call for MPs to return to their seats.

Two independent reviews into Victoria’s COVID-19 rules that have been delayed for months will not be made public before the state heads to the polls, unless parliament is brought back.

Daniel Andrews at the Victorian Parliament.Credit: Wayne Taylor

Victoria lost a parliamentary sitting day to mourn Queen Elizabeth II and shadow treasurer David Davis, the leader of the opposition in the upper house, said he would move an amendment next week asking the Legislative Council to return in October.

“The opposition will seek to sit for additional days in October, enabling MPs to continue the work they are paid to do, rather than go home early,” Davis said.

The government did not directly respond when asked if Labor could schedule another sitting day, but a spokeswoman confirmed four bills would be debated next week, which would leave another four outstanding.

The Age in June revealed the government had stalled the Children, Youth and Families Amendment (Child Protection) Bill, aimed at protecting the rights and welfare of vulnerable children, after the Greens introduced an amendment to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14.

Fearing a law and order scare campaign, the government instead drafted the Children and Health Legislation Amendment (Statement of Recognition and Other Matters) Bill 2022 to address Aboriginal child protection.

Both bills are now expected to lapse unless parliament is brought back.

Greens leader Samantha Ratnam criticised the government’s failure to prioritise legislative reform that would have helped vulnerable First Nations children, and said it was a missed opportunity to “fix the crisis in the youth justice system”.

“In Victoria, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are 16 times more likely to be removed from their families by child protection services than non-Indigenous children,” Ratnam said.

The controversial Health Legislation Amendment (Information Sharing) Bill, which would share patient health data across the public health system without an opt-out function, is also expected to lapse.

Shadow health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier said consultation had been rushed before the bill was stalled following condemnation from law, family violence and mental health experts.

The Building, Planning and Heritage Legislation Amendment Bill, criticised by the Institute of Architects, will also be left outstanding.

Separately, two reviews by the Independent Pandemic Management Committee of experts, established under the state’s new pandemic-specific legislation, are not expected to be tabled in time for the November election.

In response to questions, a committee spokesperson confirmed their reviews into vaccine mandates and the communication of COVID-19 rules were provided to Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas early this week — two months late because of the “breadth of scope”.

Thomas is required to table the documents within four sitting days, but just two days are scheduled.

“Given the delay in receiving the reports and expanded scope, the minister will need further time to consider the findings,” a government spokesman said.

“The reports will be tabled within four sitting days in accordance with the legislation.”

Crozier has separately asked for the cross parliamentary pandemic committee to meet and scrutinise COVID-19 rules after months without sitting because she said government MPs had been unavailable at the last minute.

Davis accused the government of deliberately wrapping up the parliamentary calendar more than two months before election day to minimise damaging news.

Parliament was due to wrap up 72 days before the November 26 election, longer than any other term since the 1999 election, though this was reduced to 66 days after parliament adjourned for a week. There were only 30 days between parliament sitting and the 2002 election, and 44 days in 2014.

Annual reports from many government agencies are not expected to be tabled until next year as a result, reports Davis said could show cost blowouts.

“Labor’s early closure of parliament is like finishing the grand final 15 minutes into the last quarter,” Davis said.

He plans to move a motion criticising the government’s failure to table other documents that parliament has called on, including those related to the triple-zero crisis.

A dozen parliamentary inquiries, including reviews into homeless, the use of cannabis, extremism, the closure of power stations, and the criminal justice system and parental incarceration, have also been left hanging.

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