A western Victoria MP has lashed state government imposed restrictions.
Member for the Western Victoria Region Bev McArthur said a number of restrictions in place – including those around firearms and fishing – were too city-centric.
“The ban on the sale of firearms and ammunition was clearly a method of appeasing the fears of inner-city Melbournians, who thought a pandemic might mean there would be armed criminals roaming the streets because they saw it on the television,” Ms McArthur
“It is integral that households obey the stay-at-home directive from the federal government, but the state government’s restrictions display serious double standards.
“To allow running around the suburban block, when you might pass several individuals on the route, but ban fishing, when you might not see a single other individual besides passing them in your car, makes no sense.”
Ms McArthur said there didn’t need to be specific exemptions for regional Victorians, but rather a rule of commonsense.
“Lower population density in the country means that recreational activities in the bush have a much lower risk of spreading the virus and while obviously abiding by social distancing rules.”
“The fines should be based around the social distancing measures in place, not the activities.
“If there are thirty people fishing on St Kilda pier, clearly that’s unacceptable. If there’s one bloke fishing alone on a lake in rural Victoria that the police happen to notice, there is no reason to hand out a fine.”
She warned that people will quickly tire of being told how to live.
“If public messaging is confusing, the rules are inconsistent and some sections of the community feel as if they are being unfairly targeted, like law-abiding shooters, then some will become increasingly unhappy and less compliant.”
“Our state government needs to beware of overreach when it comes to curtailing all individual freedoms and liberties. Locking people up in flats and houses will also have consequences.”
“We need to continue to listen to experts, use common sense, and governments need to stop using the crisis to take more control over individuals’ lives.”
