Tuesday, 20 September 2022

Independent Pandemic Management Advisory Committee

Mr LIMBRICK (South Eastern Metropolitan) (18:14): (2136) My adjournment matter is for the attention of the Minister for Health. If we think back to late last year, the debate around the government’s proposed pandemic legislation probably represents the most significant legislative challenge the government experienced this term. Like the Liberal Democrats, many Victorians did not trust the government to extend any significant powers. With vaccine mandates preventing most unvaccinated people from working until just a few months ago, and many others still to this day, I think they have been proven right. It was not just these Victorians that were opposed to the bill, however; many representatives of the legal sector and members of this Parliament expressed significant concerns with details of the bill.

A key element that was included in the final version of the bill was championed as an important oversight and transparency measure: the establishment of the Independent Pandemic Management Advisory Committee, otherwise known as IPMAC. I questioned the time line of IPMAC’s reporting ability back in November in committee stage. There were also questions about resourcing of IPMAC to ensure that it could deliver reports in a timely manner. Given the lack of transparency and oversight on government decisions during the pandemic I am sure the government understands why I was dubious about IPMAC’s reporting abilities. The Attorney-General told us at the time:

There are no arguments in relation to the requirement for transparency, and this bill has a range of measures to ensure that information is provided to not only the public but also to members of this place.

One of the first things the Liberal Democrats did early this year was to refer a motion to IPMAC to try and ensure there was independent scrutiny of the mandatory vaccination orders which were preventing tens of thousands of Victorians from earning a living. I was pleased to see this week that IPMAC also looked at the communication of pandemic orders. There has been a lot of criticism of confusing and poorly communicated directions.

If this government wants to remain true to its promise of IPMAC delivering transparent reports to the people of Victoria, it should release these reports now, yet the government is once again thumbing its nose at the people by relying on administrative elements of the legislation that allow it to hold off on releasing the reports until four sitting days after their delivery. We have only two left. The people of Victoria have a right to know what is in the reports. The people of Victoria have a right to read these reports before heading to the polls in November. If the reports are not released prior to the election, IPMAC will have delivered the people of Victoria nothing during the entire lifetime of the pandemic declaration period. Minister, if these reports are not released, the government will have lied to the Victorian people. They have broken their promise of transparency, and they have shown contempt for the people. I request that the minister commit to releasing these reports by close of business tomorrow.