2021-08-16
The Victorian Greens have called for Parliament to return safely as soon as possible so that urgent reforms can be passed to support those hardest hit by the latest COVID restrictions.
The government must also make itself available for parliamentary scrutiny, to ensure a check and balance on the extraordinary powers it has been exercising throughout the pandemic.
The Greens say that while they accept the decision to defer the Assembly sitting to next week on the advice of the Chief Health Officer (the Council will determine its sittings tomorrow), and while they continue to back the state’s public health response, it’s important that Parliament quickly resumes in one form or another so that important legislation isn’t held up.
In particular, the Victorian Government must reinstate support for renters who have been hit hard by rolling lockdowns and the expiry of government protections earlier this year.
Renters have been left high and dry for months, and many are facing eviction as a result.
Without urgent rent relief and a ban on evictions, renters will be saddled with insurmountable debt or a looming eviction notice at a time when many have lost work because of lockdown.
Victorian Greens spokesperson for integrity, Dr Tim Read, said the government had had a year to sort out ways to hold Parliament safely in the event of an outbreak, and that he was disappointed they had yet to do so.
He added that the Greens believed Parliament should continue online, and were willing to work with other parties to devise ways of voting safely.
Quotes attributable to Victorian Greens spokesperson for integrity, Dr Tim Read:
"The Greens will continue to support a public health-led response to the pandemic, but that shouldn’t come at the expense of our democracy, or urgent legislation.
“The reality is that this government has had over a year to work out a way to hold Parliament safely, such as online, and they haven’t.
“Urgent legislation to support those hit hard by the current restrictions shouldn’t be held up and the government must make itself available for parliamentary scrutiny.
“The Greens support Parliament continuing online and are willing to cooperate with other parties on devising ways of voting safely.”
Quotes attributable to Leader of the Victorian Greens, Samantha Ratnam MLC:
"One of the reasons that Parliament must sit as soon as possible is that we must be prepared to pass legislation that provides renters with urgent support.
“Renters are now facing the same restrictions they did during hard lockdown last year, but without any of the same support.
“While the current restrictions are helping to keep Victorians safe, they’ve also left many without work and struggling to pay rent.
“That’s why we want the government to urgently reinstate access to rent relief grants and place a ban on evictions while we’re still in lockdown.”