MEDIA RELEASE

Report into public health bill tabled

The Chair of the Health Committee, Mr Johnathan Davis, today tabled the Committee’s report into the Bill.

The Bill’s provisions include allowing the ACT Government, in certain circumstances, to issue a direction that people must be vaccinated if they wish to go to a particular place or engage in a particular activity.

The Committee recommended that the Bill be passed, subject to amendments. These included that:

• the COVID-19 declaration and other notifiable directions be disallowable instruments;
• the length of a COVID-19 declaration be reduced from six months to four weeks, with provision for four-week approved extensions; and
• the Bill should expressly specify that oversight agencies must be able to conduct visits to places of detention in a COVID-safe manner.

The Committee Chair, Mr Johnathan Davis, said “The Bill bestows significant power on the ACT Government. To protect the human rights of Canberrans, the Government should be subject to increased scrutiny and accountability from the Assembly.”

“The Committee received a high volume of submissions, and we acknowledge the interest in the Bill. The Committee in its deliberations greatly benefited from the evidence we received, and we would like to thank all participants for their contribution.”

The report is available on the Committee’s webpage.

28 February 2022

STATEMENT ENDS.

Committee Chair, Mr Jonathan Davis MLA, on (02) 6205 0051

Committee Secretary on (02) 6205 0129 or at LACommitteeHCW@parliament.act.gov.au