Victoria's New Pandemic Laws
The Victorian government is getting ready to pass new pandemic-related legislation. Given the intensity of the debate around the Andrews government's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, I thought this would be a fitting topic for my first post. Under the new laws, any Victorian premier would be able to declare a pandemic for a period of three months, and to extend that in 3-month blocks indefinitely. I say 'any Victorian premier' because these laws are not just about Daniel Andrews; they will also apply to any future Victorian premier from any party. That is of course how all laws work, but it's a good point to make because, while people opposed to Daniel Andrews are already jumping up and down about these laws, I doubt they'll have the same level of objection if and when a future Liberal premier comes into office and receives these powers. People's attitude toward government power is rooted in trust, and for many, the question of whom they trust with power is ve...