THE Victorian Labor Government has been accused of back-flipping on a commitment to implement proportionate rules for regional Victoria under any further COVID-19 lockdowns across the state.
Member for Mildura Ali Cupper told State Parliament on Wednesday afternoon the turnabout came just a day after she announced the government had agreed to amendments to state of emergency extension provisions that could have seen different rules apply in regional Victoria rather than a blanket lockdown.
Ms Cupper said she had negotiated with the government “in good faith” and labelled the concessions “an important victory for regional and rural Victoria”.
She said the regions had been jarred from the recent blanket Stage 4 restrictions and she was concerned that would be the “go to” option into the future.
“I said I wanted an assurance that to the greatest extent possible the government would apply proportionality based on risk — it’s what the government has been doing anyway for the most past of last year,” Ms Cupper said.
“That’s what I was asking for — it was sensible, it was rational and there was a precedent for it and it was in the interest of regional communities,” she said.
“I was told yesterday (Tuesday) that there would be concessions for the regions in the government’s future framework for managing the pandemic and today the government denied it.”
Ms Cupper’s Reason Party colleague Fiona Patten voted in favour of the government’s successful nine-month extension of the state of emergency provisions following the negotiations.
But Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley said on Wednesday morning “no commitment” was given to the Reason Party ahead of the vote.
“In respect to one item that the Reason Party did propose to the government – which we were not able to agree to – relates to … that there be a traffic light system for how any public health and wellbeing restrictions are placed proportionately across regional Victoria,” Mr Foley said.
“That proposal wasn’t worked up sufficiently enough. We recognise that is the Reason Party’s position, and we recognise they have every democratic right to seek to prosecute that position.
“And we look forward to discussions in good faith on that.
“Let’s be clear: no commitment was given, even though a commitment was sought by the Reason Party.”
Ms Cupper hit back when speaking in parliament.
“When I’m trying to negotiate constructively with the government in good faith to get some reassurance for the regions on the state of emergency, I’m gaslight and I’m misrepresented by everybody,” she said.
“In Parliament today the big parties claimed I was trying to get regions permanently excluded from COVID restrictions. “Why would I say that? That’s just not true. I never asked for that.
“That’s all on the public record … you can do what you want to politically with that but you don’t have to heap lies on top of it.
“You should have all of our sakes and the sake of the community and politics some shred of honour, some standards, some ethics, some basic human decency.”
Ms Cupper said the government should heed the advice of voters in her electorate.
“There’s a reason they are not voting for you — there’s a reason why there’s a shift to independent politics — people want collaboration, they want compromise,” she said.
“Not only is this culture revolting, but it’s not working — people in my electorate just want hard work and results, that’s all they want.
“And that’s exactly what I’m going to keep doing, because you don’t scare me … none of you do.”
