Wednesday, 11 May 2022

 Dr CUMMING (Western Metropolitan) (16:58): I rise to speak on the documents under section 165AQ of the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 in relation to the making of pandemic orders implemented on 18 March 2022. I do wish this government would actually just stop with the pandemic orders. We have had enough. But these documents include Guidance for the Pandemic (Additional Industry Obligations) Order 2022 (No. 9), Guidance for the Pandemic (Quarantine, Isolation and Testing) Order 2022 (No. 6), Guidance for the Pandemic (Victorian Border Crossing) Order 2022 (No. 6), Guidance for the Pandemic (Visitors to Hospitals and Care Facilities) Order 2022 (No. 4) and the related health advice, unseen. There are really no surprises in any of the orders. This is simply more of the same restrictions that we have seen and had to put up with from this government for the past two years—just this government trying to control our lives forevermore.

However, as part of this package of documents there is an email trail between the minister and the health department—namely, the secretary of the department and the chief health officers. The email from the Minister for Health was sent at 10.43 pm on 16 March. The email says:

Dear Brett/ Ben and DoH team

I refer to the discussions surrounding proposed changes to pandemic orders relating to

• quarantine isolation and testing systems

• Victorian border crossings

• Hospitals and care facilities

• Additional industry obligations

It is my understanding that these widely canvases matters are promised to come into effect from 18 March 2022 at 11 59 pm

This email was sent on 16 March.

In accordance with the provisions of the pandemic powers provisions of the Public Health and Well Being Act I would seek your urgent advice on these matters together with the assessment on the human rights impact on Victorians together with … other material you may believe relevant

I thank you in advance for your assistance

The response from the acting chief health officer was sent to the department secretary at 12.59 pm the following day and forwarded to the minister at 1.27 pm.

We have been told repeatedly by the Premier that the orders are based on health advice. Really? Do you really still expect us to believe that? The minister’s email clearly states that it was his understanding that these were promised to come into effect. In other words, the decision had already been made before the minister requested the health advice. The health advice was not requested and then the orders drafted. The orders were already drafted, and we are supposed to believe that they are based on the health advice. But who had promised that these would come into effect? Obviously not the minister. The Premier? The cabinet? The minister, who according to the act has responsibility for making the orders, is just following directions from somebody else.

It is also interesting to note that these orders were received on 12 April and revoked on 22 April. So what changed the health advice? The daily new cases and the total active cases certainly do not justify it. On the day these orders were made there were 7700 new cases and 48 594 active cases in Victoria. On the day the orders were revoked there were 8010 new cases and 53 941 active cases in the state. This just goes to show that this government is using the pandemic orders as nothing more than a political tool and just another way of controlling our lives.

When will this government actually stop with the pandemic orders and allow all Victorians to get on with their lives? We do not need any more orders. We do not need directions. We have got this. We do not need the pandemic orders to stay in place, and we definitely do not need the mandates. They can all be dropped. So please, government, please: just drop the mandates. Please, for the Victorian community’s sake: enough with these orders, enough with these directions.