Daniel Andrews defends proposed laws likened to ‘Stasi powers’ by lawyers

Daniel Andrews defends proposed laws attacked by one of Victoria’s top lawyers, saying the legislation was ‘most transparent’.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews on Wednesday. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has defended proposed laws that have been likened to “Stasi powers” by one of the state’s top lawyers, saying the legislation was the “most transparent” and had the “best oversight”.

Mr Andrews said proposed changes to public health laws were based on models currently operating in NSW and New Zealand.

“Modelled on New Zealand, modelled on NSW, modelled on other Australian states,” he said.

“They are the most transparent, there is the best oversight.”

The laws would transfer the power to make public health orders from the Victorian chief health officer to the state health minister, as well as toughen penalties for order breaches and see advice tabled to parliament.

Mr Andrews said people who took issue with the health minister signing off on public health orders should go to NSW, where state Health Minister Brad Hazzard had held the power to make orders for two-years.

“If this bloke or anyone else is upset about ministers signing orders, well then you better get to NSW and have a bit of a go up there because Brad Hazzard has been signing off on orders for two-years,” he said.

“There’s some political games being played here and I’m just not interested in it.”

Victorian Bar president Christopher Blanden, QC, said “the Bill confers powers that can be appropriately described as draconian in authorising virtually unlimited interference with the liberties of Victorian citizens”.

“This represents the biggest challenge to the rule of law that this state has faced in decades.”

Mr Blanden said the pandemic legislation, introduced into parliament this week, conferred broad powers to authorised officers without review and granted police powers to enter enter premises without a warrant.

Mr Andrews was on Wednesday forced to defend his government’s bizarre ruling on mandatory vaccination for the non-essential retail sector, which will see unvaccinated customers permitted when shops reopen to mark the 80 per cent full vaccination milestone from Friday evening, but banned from November 24, when the state is expected to reach 90 per cent.

If you’re going to interfere to this degree with people’s basic rights, then there ought to be some reasoned debate about whether it’s justified or not.”

Victoria has reported 1923 locally-acquired cases of coronavirus and 25 Covid-related deaths on Thursday.

The latest deaths - representing the highest daily toll this year - take the state’s toll for the current outbreak to 270, adding to 820 deaths of people with Covid in 2020.

Thursday’s 1923 cases follow 1534 on Wednesday, 1510 on Tuesday, 1461 on Monday, 1935 on Sunday, 1750 on Saturday, 2179 on Friday, and 2232 last Thursday.

The state’s record is 2297 cases on October 14.

The current seven day average is 1756, down from Wednesday’s seven day average of 1800.

There are currently 22,189 active cases, down from 24,164 on Wednesday. As of Wednesday, there had been 83,210 Covid cases confirmed in Victoria since the pandemic began.

There were 746 people in Victorian hospitals with Covid on Wednesday, including 137 in intensive care, of whom 85 were on a ventilator.

This is lower than the seven day average of 780 people in hospital, and compares with Tuesday’s figures of 748 in hospital, including 138 in intensive care, of whom 87 were on a ventilator.

The latest cases come after 82,648 tests were processed on Wednesday, down only slightly on the record 83,210 tests processed on Tuesday, and compared with 55,679 on Monday, 56,905 on Sunday, 69,624 on Saturday, 72,858 on Friday, 77,036 on Thursday, and 79,544 last Wednesday.

According to the latest commonwealth figures, 76.90 per cent of Victorians aged 16 and over were fully vaccinated as of Tuesday, including 1.02 per cent who had their second dose that day.

As of Tuesday, 91.07 per cent of Victorians aged 16 and over had received at least one jab, including 0.23 per cent who had their first dose that day.

Victorians are counting down to 6pm on Friday, when the state will move to 80 per cent full vaccination settings, enabling the reopening of non-essential retail and entertainment, travel between Melbourne and the regions, and increased capacities in hospitality venues.

From November 24 - when the state is expected to reach 90 per cent full vaccination - most restrictions are set to be abandoned for people who are fully vaccinated.

The current outbreak emerged 12 weeks ago, amid short-lived celebrations of a zero case day on August 4 - the day before the state’s sixth lockdown was announced.