Desperate talks for Daniel Andrews on pandemic bill

The Andrews government is seeking the ­single extra vote required to pass its pandemic legislation ahead of State of Emergency powers expiring in less than a month.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews arrives at parliament. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

The Andrews government is engaged in desperate talks with crossbenchers as it seeks the ­single extra vote required to pass its pandemic legislation ahead of State of Emergency powers expiring in less than a month.

The passage of the bill was thrown into jeopardy late on Wednesday night when former Labor powerbroker Adem Somyurek indicated he would attend parliament for only the second time in more than a year to vote it down.

Mr Somyurek was absent from parliament on Thursday, where the government successfully moved a motion to have debate on the bill temporarily adjourned, only two days after Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes had ­officially declared it “urgent”.

While the adjournment has bought the government more time to beg for crossbench support ahead of debate likely resuming on Friday, crossbench MPs on Thursday lined up to express their displeasure with the government’s failure to engage with them until now.

“What we’ve said to the government on many occasions is that they don’t have to do what I say, obviously, but they need to have the professional courtesy to at least listen to what we have to say, because I’ve had tens of thousands of people contact my office, and these people have been denied a voice,” said Transport Matters MP Rod Barton.

“This is a problem that’s entirely of the government’s own making,” said Sustainable Australia Party MP Clifford Hayes.

“No one even took the time to pretend to consult with us,” said Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party MP Jeff Bourman.

Labor holds 17 of 40 seats in the upper house, the crossbench 12, and the Coalition 11.

Until Mr Somyurek indicated his intention to oppose rather than abstain from voting on the bill, the government assumed it would pass with the support of Animal Justice Party MP Andy Meddick, Reason Party MP Fiona Patten and Greens leader Samantha Ratnam.

Asked why his government had involved only three of the 23 non-Labor upper house MPs in negotiations over the bill, Premier Daniel Andrews said: “I don’t necessarily accept that criticism, and again, I’m not here to provide a commentary on individual members of that chamber.

“We will engage, we always do, and I’m confident we can work through all of these issues.

“Some rules are going to be very important (after December 16), how we treat and protect and safeguard people who’ve got the virus from giving it to the people they love, all of those things require a legal framework.

“I think everyone in the upper house knows and understands that, and we’ll work with everybody to get an outcome.”

Victorian Opposition Leader Matthew Guy. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said the Coalition was prepared to negotiate to come up with a satisfactory bill, amid ongoing concerns from groups including the Victorian Bar, Law Institute and Ombudsman over a lack of independent oversight.

“Again I offer the Liberal and National parties’ hand of co-operation to work with the government to get a sensible piece of legislation through the parliament,” he said.

Mr Somyurek, meanwhile, escalated his attack on Mr Andrews, saying he doesn’t “listen or respect” his cabinet, treats parliament as a “nuisance” and should not be trusted with new powers under the pandemic legislation.

“A premier that doesn’t listen to or much respect his own cabinet, that doesn’t heed warnings from his caucus, that treats parliament as an inconvenient nuisance is not really envisaged in the design of our system,” Mr Somyurek told The Australian on Thursday.

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