Premier Daniel Andrews has defended his decision to seek an extension of Victoria’s State of Emergency for up to 18 months, saying it would be in place “for not one day longer than they need to be.”
The Premier confirmed a bill would be put to parliament next week that would see Victoria’s State of Emergency extended beyond the current six-month limit, which is due to expire on 13 September.
“This is very much like an insurance policy,” Mr Andrews said.
“We certainly hope that we don’t have to draw down on it. We hope that we don’t have to make a claim against it.
“Across the board, across the whole of the state. These restrictions will be in place for not one day longer than they need to be.”
He said the proposed extension would bring Victoria “into line” with other jurisdictions and put the state into a “preferred position to many other states”.
“Other states are able to extend and extend and extend further,” said Mr Andrews.
“They don’t have any limits. We, under these arrangements, will simply continue the existing set of tools, if you like – the practical tools that we can draw on – based on the best of medical advice.
“We would be able to extend the state of emergency in 4-week blocks, and there would need to be fresh advice and a fresh case mounted and we’d have to be – we would have to continue to reaffirm that that was the appropriate thing to do.
