Over the last two years, I have been holding public legal lectures on the human rights elements of the Emergency Powers the WA and other Australian-based Governments have been using.
In the midst of human rights vocations, it is important to note who rights remain, and how to advocate, lobby and fight for transparency of reporting from our Governments to the extent that any right that is taken away from us needs to be propotionate, reasonable and applied with measure, on a case by case basis.
These are basic legal tests and thresholds which eneed to be applied, in order to protect our rule of law, our Constitutional Democracy, and our inalienable human rights into the future.
Recently, the Hon. Nick Goiran put forward a Petition calling for transparency of the Western Australian Government in relation to the advice that the government has relied on to make decisions during the exercise of the Emergency powers, which suspends a lot of our individual rights for the sake of the 'greater good'.
Two years on, have these measures been about health, have they benefited our communities, and what impact has it had on our mental health, the financial state of our nation, and the cost to families, businesses and our Nation as a whole?
Over the past tow years, in the midst of lobbying government, advocating for parents and children in Schools, speaking at several local Councils and training people to do the same, representing individuals before their employees and before the Fair Work Commission, and supporting businesses to have a human rights approach to their health measures, it has become apparent to me that, as fear of the unknown prevails, people are willing to give up their inalienable and lawful rights for the sake of the illusion of 'protection'.
The problem with this is, I do not believe our society is honest about the cost we have all have to pay over the last two years just so that we can 'feel safe' against the unknown.
We are still not honest about the cost-benefit-analysis that we are all called to make post-sacrifice, as out Governments call us to further give up more our our rights and liberties in the face of renewed unknowns.
It is for this reason, I call on you to join me in making your own petition to this WA Government Inquiry into Transparent health advice and modelling informing ‘state of emergency’ declarations with the Standing Committee on Environment and Public Affairs found here.
You have to be a WA resident to make a Submission.
The purpose of the original Petition and now the Submissions is to call out Premier McGowan’s refusal to publicly disclose the advice he says justifies his Government’s ongoing use of “emergency powers”. We are all entitled to know precisely what justifies more than two years of emergency extraordinary powers. The original petition was tabled by the Ho0n Nick Goiran in the Legislative Council on Tuesday 10 May 2022, and a record 8318 West Aussies signed the petition.
The petition called for the following: "To the President and Members of the Legislative Council of the Parliament of Western Australia in Parliament assembled. We the undersigned ... note that:
1. The McGowan Labor Government first declared a “state of emergency” more than two years ago on 15 March 2020 under the Emergency Management Act 2005 and a “public health state of emergency” the following day under the Public Health Act 2016;
2. Both state of emergency declarations have been extended every fortnight since;
3. The Chief Health Officer gave evidence to the Standing Committee on Estimates and Financial Operations on 23 March 2022 revealing that he, or someone acting in his place, had provided advice prior to each declaration and extension;
4. Prior to being elected Premier, a promise was made by Mr McGowan that his Government would adhere to a “gold standard” of transparency;
5. The Premier recently declared under oath in open court that ''gold-standard transparency does not apply to every single thing'';
6. Premier McGowan and his Ministers have refused to make the health advice and any associated modelling publicly available.
We therefore ask the Legislative Council to urgently inquire into this matter so that all health advice and modelling used to justify each state of emergency declaration is tabled in Parliament without further delay." The WA Parliament has never before received an e-petition with this great a number of petitioners. According to the rules of Parliament, the petition has now been referred to the Standing Committee on Environment and Public Affairs. The Committee has a duty to consider ALL submission and that of the principal petitioner. If you would like to make a submission to the Committee:
Send your submission within the next two weeks to env@parliament.wa.gov.au;
Refer to Petition No. 049 - State of Emergency Declarations; and
Keep your submission short (no greater than two pages in length).
Do not just sit at home and be a keyboard warrior, and do not go to rallies or meetings, without doing something about the circumstance we find ourselves in as West-Aussies!
Become a LOBBYIST and and ADVOCATE!
HOLD THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT TO ACCOUNT TO THE LAW!
With over 15 years experience as a legal and political lobbyist in Canberra and Internationally, I have provided training and guidance to many organisations and individuals on how to undertake this task.
I will be running a PUBLIC LEGAL LECTURE ONLINE empowering you to write your own petition!
BOOK IN YOUR TRAINING SESSION HERE!