Source: ABCnews
The Victorian Government’s controversial pandemic laws have officially passed the upper house of state parliament.
The laws, which replace the state of emergency powers, passed 20 votes to 18, with the support of four crossbenchers.
It comes after days of debate and a marathon sitting that lasted 21 hours in order to pass several amendments.
The bill will need to go to the lower house for final approval, where the government has a majority.
The state’s current state of emergency powers are set to expire on December 15.
Victoria will be the first state in Australia to have pandemic specific legislation, giving the government of the day the legal framework it needs to manage health emergencies, including vaccine mandates and mask rules.
The legislation will give Victoria’s premier and health minister the power to declare a pandemic and enforce restrictions.
