Labor’s Attorney-General Jill Hennessy has today refused to guarantee that the Andrews Labor Government won’t make changes to the Public Health and Wellbeing Act to stop Victorians from accessing compensation for its destructive coronavirus restrictions.
The Public Health and Wellbeing Act allows a person who suffers loss arising from a direction of the Chief Health Officer to apply to the Secretary for compensation.
Asked in State Parliament today to guarantee the government will not seek to retrospectively remove or restrict the entitlement to seek compensation, the Attorney-General deliberately avoided providing an answer.
Comment attributable to Leader of The Nationals, Peter Walsh:
“Protecting the rights of Victorians is an optional extra for the Andrews Labor Government.
“By refusing to guarantee they won’t take away Victorians’ right to apply for compensation the Attorney-General has confirmed Labor just doesn’t care about the devastation its shutdowns have had on the lives and livelihoods of all Victorians.
“The Andrews Labor Government’s failed management of hotel quarantine forced millions of Victorians into a second wave of shutdowns that have taken away our freedoms, axed jobs and closed businesses.
“The social and financial losses of these coronavirus shutdowns will be felt for a long time yet.
“This is another reason why Victorians have lost confidence in the Andrews Government and that people are supporting the motion moved to bring on an early election in Victoria.”
