This is no exaggeration. If you’ve been following the news about the world’s most locked down city in the former democracy of Australia, you’re well aware of the police state it has become.
The new laws of enabling jail time for “pre-crime” already allow the government to lock up undesirables on the basis that they are “at risk” of radicalizing — without committing a crime, planning a crime, or even thinking of a crime.
That assault on democracy — the most egregious we’ve ever seen — is about to be eclipsed by the new one introduced to parliament today. It isn’t yet published, but The Ostrich Head has obtained a confidential draft.
The government is making the most of removing opposition politicians for refusing to show their vaccination status by introducing this offensive bill.
Apart from our commentary, we’ve also included a clip from Peta Credlin on Sky News about him (Peta’s the former Chief of Staff for the Prime Minister, so she knows what she’s talking about), the press release, and the draft bill.
This new law updates and replaces parts of the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008, under which the current state of emergency and government overreach is being legitimized. It’s worth noting that this original law was written by Dan Andrews and his cronies (and masters) when he was Health Minister in 2008.
The Press Release alone opens a window into the new totalitarian regime
Below is the press release from the premier’s office. As glowingly as it is written, here are the main (and shocking) bullet points:
- The Premier, all by himself, can declare a pandemic (State of Emergency) at any time. No actual sick people are necessary, nor is there any precondition, such as a pandemic declaration by the Commonwealth Government or World Health Organization. All he needs is a “disease of pandemic potential.”
- The State of Emergency can be extended in three month blocks indefinitely at the premier’s sole discretion.
- Public Health Officers (i.e. police) have to power to enter any premises and require any documents without a warrant
- A new “aggravated” offense (i.e. very serious) will be created for anyone who intentionally breaches a public order directions (not doing what they are told, for example) will carry 500 penalty units — a whopping A$90,187 (US$67,592) fine for individuals and A$450,935 for businesses. For comparison, the average wage in Australia is A$92,905.
- Prison sentences of up to two years for failing to follow public health and public order directions (such as not wearing a mask).
- All information given to contact tracers, manual check-ins, interview information etc (everything) will be made available to police without a warrant nor subpoena when “someone’s life may be at risk” which in a pandemic means “always.”
These are from the press release — the Good bits. The Bad and the Ugly are really bad and ugly.
Americans (and even some Australians) may be wondering where the constitution is in all of this and how these laws can possibly be constitutional.
Simple answer: Victoria’s constitution can be changed at any time by a simple majority in both houses of parliament. The current government changed it in 2020 and again in March this year, so it’s already toilet paper.
Discrimination on race, sex, politics, disability — it’s all back baby
While the world reacts to the US going woke with combinations of shock, laughter, disbelief, and gallic shrugs, Victoria’s new law is the complete opposite. Remember racism, sexism, ageism, etc? They are all back. The Premier (and anyone he delegates this power to) will be able to issue a pandemic order to a specific classification of people. This specifically includes (but is not limited to):
(a) age;
(b) breastfeeding;
(c) employment activity;
(d) gender identity;
(e) disability;
(f) industrial activity;
(g) lawful sexual activity;
(h) marital status;
(i) parental status or status as a carer;
(j) physical features;
(k) political belief or activity;
(l) pregnancy;
(m) race;
(n) religious belief or activity;
(o) sex;
(p) sexual orientation;
(pa) an expunged homosexual conviction;
(q) personal association (whether as a relative or otherwise) with a person who is identified by reference to any of the above attributes.
Because unlike regular diseases, pandemic diseases tend to discriminate unfairly.
Remember the good old days when Australia was casually sexist and racist? Now it’s legislated everything-ist.
Unlimited power to rule by decree
So what order can the premier (“Minister”) make? What are the limits? This has got to be our favorite piece of legislation from anywhere in the world:
The Minister may, at any time on or after the making of a pandemic declaration, make any order (a pandemic order) that the Minister believes is reasonably necessary to protect public health.
Public Health and Wellbeing Amendment Bill 2021 165 AI (1)
Yup, anything that the “Minister believes.” Probably the most pressing is a pay rise. I mean another pay rise.
This is the sort of law that Kim Jung Un rules North Korea with. He can make any order he likes. Even Xi Jinping doesn’t have this much power. Dan Andrews has done him proud.
And it keeps on going. Included in the all encompassing “any order” above (but without limiting it) are any order:
that requires the provision of information (including information about the identity of any person), the production of documents or the keeping of records; or
that requires the quarantining, destruction or other management of disease vectors in a pandemic management area.
Public Health and Wellbeing Amendment Bill 2021 165 AI (2) (i) and (k)
So the premier will have legal access to all information in the state — private, medical, financial, personal etc — as well as the power to rip down areas such as the Jewish ghetto.
And of course, it wouldn’t be the same if the premier couldn’t imprison people indefinitely without a warrant
A period of detention specified in a pandemic order must not exceed the period that the Minister believes is reasonably necessary to eliminate or reduce a serious risk to public health.
Public Health and Wellbeing Amendment Bill 2021 165 AI (3)
As with anything else in this law, it’s all about what the premier “believes.” It may as well be a religious text. He probably believes that members of uncooperative minor parties need to be detained for 10-20 years to reduce a serious risk to public health. Why not? He’s already kicked them out of the rump parliament.
The only “safeguard” in the law is that the premier can’t make any orders that apply to a single person. However:
A pandemic order may be expressed to apply to the following—
Public Health and Wellbeing Amendment Bill 2021 165 AK (1)
(a) all persons;
(b) specified classes of person;
(c) specified persons.
So not individual persons, unless there are two of them! You can’t make this stuff up. Only Dan and his masters have that much egomania. Naturally, parliament can be suspended in an emergency. Again. Because science? Not this time. Just on a “belief.”
Police have unlimited power
So far, we’ve only looked at the administration. Now for the police. Here’s how Victoria’s Police Force (now widely viewed as a corrupt bunch of thugs) is being reigned in — not. They have full authority:
(a) to take any action or give any direction, other than to detain a person, that the authorised officer believes is reasonably necessary to protect public health;
Public Health and Wellbeing Amendment Bill 2021 165 B (1)
(b) to detain a person in a pandemic management area for the period the authorised officer believes is reasonably necessary to eliminate or reduce a serious risk to public health.
Quite simply, they don’t need ANY health orders. They can make stuff up and force people to do it. “Dance bitch! Nope? You’re going to jail.” Once in jail, the officer only needs to inform the premier (or whoever he’s delegated this bit to) that a person is in custody. If no crime has been committed, then there’s no need to go before a judge.
Indefinite detention is the order of the day.
All police detention is lawful
Of course, there are some legal protections — for the government and officers. Any detention for any reason for any time in any circumstances that, on review, was totally unnecessary and inappropriate, was still legal.
If the detention of a person ceases because of a decision made on a review of the detention, the detention of the person is not unlawful merely because of the decision made on the review
Public Health and Wellbeing Amendment Bill 2021 165 BL
Welcome to Victoria with Chinese characteristics.
But surely, you ask, aren’t there some human rights watchdogs that are screaming blue murder at the sight of this bill? Sure there are.
The Human Rights Law Centre is on board with the total destruction of human rights
The response to this from Australia’s Human Rights Law Centre (self described as “a fearless, independent organisation that protects and promotes human rights in Australia) was swift and direct:
It sounds like it’s going to include some really key human rights and democracy safeguards
Daniel Webb, legal director, quoted on ABC
Exactly. All of the so-called watchdogs have been bribed, bought off, threatened, or cajoled into letting the government cancel all human rights and then cast a few crumbs back as privileges.
By the way, Qantas has resumed international flights and Victoria will son be open for tourists. Why go to North Korea? Why go to a zoo? Come to Victoria.
