Member for Northern Victoria Tim Quilty to vote on pandemic powers

Mr Quilty, who is based in Wodonga, was suspended from attending parliament or his Wodonga electorate office in October after refusing to provide evidence of receiving a COVID vaccine despite publicly revealing he was fully vaccinated.

At the time the MP likened the suspension of MPs to the actions used by the Nazi Party in 1933 to consolidate power.

However, Mr Quilty has confirmed he has acquiesced to the vaccine mandate in order to vote against the government's proposed pandemic powers.

"We would have liked to protest the government's exclusion of us from the parliament for longer but once they brought this legislation in it was too important that we be there to vote against it," the Liberal Democrat said.

Mr Quilty described the government's pandemic powers bill as an 'appalling piece of legislation.'

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The bill will go before the Legislative Council this week, before likely moving to the Legislative Assembly next week.

The proposed laws seek to replace the current State of Emergency powers.

Under the legislation, the Premier will be responsible for declaring a pandemic, on the advice of the Chief Health Officer and Health Minister. Currently it is the responsibility of the Chief Health Officer.

The bill also requires the government provide the health advice behind any public health orders.

Mr Quilty said power had 'gone to their heads'.

"No government, not now or in the future should ever have access to this kind of power," he said.

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