Stephen Andrew, Member for Mirani, has invited everybody to sign his petition calling on Parliament to Restore Democracy in Queensland. Below is his statement and at the bottom of the post is a link to the petition.
It is time for executive government to step away from the overuse of emergency powers, mandates and measures, which are starting to cause deep divisions within society, ongoing economic hardship and widespread feelings of unhappiness and social isolation. Many of the more restrictive directives and mandates are now disproportionate to the risk and pose a significant danger to the democratic principles and rights enshrined in our State’s Constitution and common law heritage.
Extending the emergency powers again and again, on the basis of ‘necessity’ or ‘expediency’, also sets a dangerous precedent for the future – one which it may be difficult, if not impossible, to reverse. Governments now have a template for executive action which, if unchallenged, will encourage them to use again and again in responding to other problems in the future. The ‘necessity’ of dealing with ‘climate change’ or ‘hate speech’ for example.
Both problems are increasingly spoken of by political and community leaders, as posing a threat to national security. Increasingly, we are hearing calls, both internationally and here in Australia, for ‘climate lockdowns’ and a declared ‘state of emergency’ to enable government to deal ‘efficiently’ with environmental threats and risks.
That’s why the people must draw a line in the sand now and end the overuse of emergency powers and measures in Queensland. Otherwise, they will inevitably become normalised over time, and eventually permanent. We need new legislation that provides for a managed reduction of the Executive’s power, so that it is equipped to deal with the current situation in a more targeted, minimalist way.
We must start, responsibly, to re-open our economy, restore human rights and liberties and rebuild the public’s trust in government. It is time to restore balance and accountability to the policy-making process in Queensland.
This is a Petition to Keep Democracy Alive in Queensland!
Please sign the petition using link below, and share widely. Your support is much appreciated!
We are heading down a very dangerous path.