The Hon Robert Borsak MLC, Parliament of New South Wales Legislative Council, Media Release, 12 August 2021
The Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party calls for Parliament to resume in September and a return to representative democracy. Following increasing concerns, the Government has lost control of the pandemic in New South Wales.
“Parliament signed off on the Government’s five pieces of legislation in March 2020, which granted autonomy to adapt regulations and health orders in an evolving pandemic,” said Leader of the SFF Robert Borsak MLC.
“What is becoming increasingly clear is that the Government is abusing that autonomy and is losing control of the New South Wales recovery.
“We have a situation where the Premier and her so-called “crisis cabinet” can rule this State through statutory rules like health orders and subordinate legislation like regulations, that are not required to be tabled in Parliament.
“Representative democracy has been put on hold in a time we need it more than ever.
“A State run by a small “crisis cabinet” that has no transparency, oversight or accountability heightens the risk of poor decision making, and that is what we see daily.
“Botched vaccination roll-outs. No clear road map out of the crisis. There is inequality across New South Wales electorates with the application of health orders.
“When the Premier and her “crisis cabinet” are asked questions about providing the health advice, their answers are vague and arrogant or no answer at all, as we saw by the display from the Health Minister in the PAC Inquiry yesterday.
“With no clear plan for Parliament to return, this Government has autocratic control of this State, and that is a horrifying position for New South Wales.
“We went through two World Wars without closing the Parliament of New South Wales.
“Now more than ever, we need to see authentic representation on the floor of Parliament.
“We need a return of Parliament, and whatever sitting days lost will need to be made up.
“If every other workplace in New South Wales can adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic, so should the NSW Parliament.
“Scrutiny and oversight of the executive government is a primary function of Parliament and something we are in dire need of during this crisis given Government’s continued failure.
The Premier and her government need to stop hiding from Parliamentary scrutiny and come back now,” said Mr Borsak.
