Current e-Petitions for the Legislative Council

No More Emergency Powers Without Oversight

Eligibility : Residents of Western Australia Only

To the President and Members of the Legislative Council of the Parliament of Western Australia in Parliament assembled. We the undersigned ...

Note that the McGowan Government have shifted the responsibility for “emergency powers” for the next two years from the Minister for Emergency Services to the Police Commissioner;
Are concerned that these shifted emergency powers include extraordinary measures such as “COVID-19 officers” breaking into and entering any place or vehicle without a warrant;
Request that the Police Commissioner undertake that he will not use these new discretionary powers and instead insist that if a true State of Emergency occurs that the Premier and his Ministers take personal responsibility for making a lawful declaration;
Call on the McGowan Government to give an unequivocal commitment that they will not seek to extend these new powers when they expire in 2024;
Urge the Legislative Council to establish a select committee, not controlled by the Government, that will review the use of emergency powers since they were first invoked in 2020 and monitor their use over the next two years.

And your petitioners as in duty bound, will ever pray.