Lift Andrews’ curfew now
Labor’s curfew is not based on health evidence nor on a request from the police. It appears to have been dreamed up by Daniel Andrews in his bunker at 1 Treasury Place.
He’s out of touch.
Today in the Upper House, I will move this motion.
That this House
(1) notes —
(a) the decision by the Government to impose a curfew, commencing at 8.00 p.m. on Sunday, 2 August 2020, was not based on health advice;
(b) the Chief Health Officer, Professor Brett Sutton, has said “The curfew came in as part of the State of Disaster … It wasn’t a State of Emergency requirement … I was consulted on it, but it was a separate decision-making pathway”;
(c) that the Premier, the Hon Daniel Andrews MP, has not explained where the advice to impose a curfew came from;
(2) requires, in accordance with Standing Order 11.01, the Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council to table in the Council, by 2.00 p.m. Friday, 18 September 2020, copies of the briefs and other materials upon which the decision to impose a curfew was based; and
(3) calls on the Government to immediately lift the curfew due to the unjustified imposition on our liberties and freedoms.
As stated by the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, David Davis:
“Andrews’ heavy-handed curfew was never justified. We know now neither the Chief Health Officer nor the Police Commissioner called for it. All the evidence is Andrews dreamed this up himself.
“It’s a cruel and unhelpful infringement of liberties, likely to cause congestion at facilities like supermarkets and petrol stations as people cluster in the lead up to the curfew chop.
“The motion directs the Government to bring to the Upper House Chamber all the documents on which Andrews based his decision to slap a curfew on Melbournians.
“The debate is a chance for Upper House MPs to make clear whether they support Andrews’ curfew, or not.”
