Victoria’s state of emergency powers extended for six months

The Victorian government has pushed through its bill to extend the state of emergency for another six months.

The bill passed the upper house 20 votes to 19 without amendment after a marathon debate overnight.

The result was reached at 2am on Wednesday, after a lengthy dispute over technical details.

It came after Greens leader Samantha Ratnam yesterday returned from maternity leave early to attend Parliament with her one-month-old daughter, giving the bill the third crossbench vote needed to get it across the line.

The bill grants the government the ability to enforce restrictions recommended by Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton to fight COVID-19.

The bill drew criticism from the Opposition.

Opposition MP David Davis says the state of emergency extension only succeeded with the use of a gag order, shutting down debate on clauses — another injustice for Victorians.

(Image: Asanka Ratnayake / Getty)