March 14, 2022
An emergency cannot last forever
“Such significant human rights limitations” cannot be allowed to continue unchecked—Queensland’s human rights commissioner Scott McDougal has warned the state’s lawmakers a “vacuum of oversight” could undermine public faith crucial to responding to future pandemics should they extend the chief health officer emergency powers. He told the parliamentary committee on Monday that it should reject the Palaszczuk government’s move to extend powers by a further six months and instead replace the temporary measures with “fit-for-purpose, pandemic legislation” that was “transparent, accountable and more compatible with human rights”.
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