Here are a few issues from the Pandemic Bill the Victorian Government is trying to push through. From 'CRIKEY'
First, the law gives the Health Secretary extensive decree powers when a pandemic declaration is in effect. Including authority for the Health Minister to make pandemic orders that differentiate on the basis of “attributes” included in the Equal Opportunity Act (165AK(4)). This allows a pandemic order to discriminate on the basis of “race”, “religion”, and “political belief or activity.” Is the ability to discriminate on these bases really necessary in a pandemic?
Second, the law gives the Health Department and chief health officer vast police powers. In particular, it gives the head of the Health Department vast power to classify any individual they think “appropriate” to be an “authorised officer”.
The most dramatic example was last year’s decision to seal off the Flemington and North Melbourne towers, which, according to the Victorian ombudsman, “appeared to be contrary to the law” and left “many people with limited access to food and medicine”.
Third, the bill does not give Parliament — the central institution in our democratic system — a serious role in overseeing the exercise of these extraordinary powers.
Fourth, no provision is made for safe protests, as the Human Rights Law Centre called for in a recent report. On the contrary, specific authorised officers have blanket “pandemic management general powers”, which include the power to forbid all “gatherings”
This is just my opinion.