CLOSED NORWAY: FHI’s Camilla Stoltenberg, Minister of Health Bent Høie (R), Prime Minister Erna Solberg (R) and Director of Health Bjørn Guldvog at the press conference where Norway was closed down for the first time on 12 March 2020. Photo: Lise Åserud / NTB scanpix
The Liberal Party’s Alfred Bjørlo asks the Conservative Party and the governing parties to turn around before they give new pandemic powers to future governments.
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The government and the Conservative Party want to change the infection control act and give future governments the opportunity to introduce isolation and quarantine measures without approval from the Storting The Liberals’ Alfred Bjørlo criticizes the change and believes the measures should be approved by the Storting in the event of a future pandemic Several parties, including Frp, KrF, Rødt and Patientfokus, share Bjørlo and the Liberal Party’s point of view The Government will review the Infection Control Act following the Corona Commission’s final report. The opposition believes they should wait before changing the law Høyre’s Erlend Svardal Bøe believes Bjørlo’s criticism goes too far, and refers to already existing infection control laws and requirementsShow more
When Norway shut down during the corona pandemic, several very invasive measures were introduced.
The state could, among other things, force people to be in isolation and quarantine. The elected representatives at the Storting had to approve this in temporary regulations temporary regulations These are rules or laws that have been made for a short period of time, often to deal with a special situation.
That may end with the next pandemic: Now the government and the Conservative Party want to change the infection prevention act This is a Norwegian law that deals with how to prevent and deal with infectious diseases, so that a future government can introduce such measures without going to the Storting.
– These are authoritarian tendencies. They will give the bureaucracythe bureaucracyThis is the system of public servants and women who carry out the day-to-day tasks of a government. a general mandate for extremely intrusive measures in people’s lives, says Venstres Alfred Bjørlo to VG.
– From the Left’s side, we are completely shaking our heads at how the governing parties and the Conservative Party persist, says Bjørlo.
The matter will be debated in the Storting on Friday. It will be voted on next Tuesday.
CONCERNED MAN: Leftist Alfred Bjørlo with a concerned expression on a previous occasion outside the parliament. Photo: Helge Mikalsen / VG
Frp, KrF, Rødt and Patient Focus believe that the Storting must always approve such measures. SV says that it is very unfortunate to introduce such a legal basis. This is a law or part of a law that gives the authorities the right to do something. without a safety valve.
The government has announced a general review of the Swedish Infection Control Act following the Corona Commission’s final report.
The opposition is critical of the government not waiting for that before changing the law.
– There is one exception: the Right. To me, this says that the Conservative Party is the old civil service party in Norway, which is too much in the pockets of the bureaucracy. It is we elected officials who must decide this and take responsibility. We cannot leave it to the health bureaucrats, says Bjørlo.
– Come on quickly
Bjørlo believes that several of the measures went too far during the corona pandemic.
– It came on suddenly and there was a lot of uncertainty. In retrospect, I think that we should not have gone so hard on forced isolation and quarantine as we did. We definitely went too far in keeping children and young people at home as much as we did for long periods, he says.
– But one thing is that we did it in a crisis situation. Another thing is that in peacetime we now give such a general mandate to the health bureaucracy, he says.
VACCINATED MAN: Erlend Svardal Bøe took VG in tow when he was vaccinated earlier this year. Photo: Frode Hansen / VG
– Taking the criticism too far
Høyre’s Erlend Svardal Bøe was acting state secretary for Bent Høie (H) during the pandemic. He currently sits on the health committee at the Storting.
– I think Bjørlo takes his criticism too far, writes Bøe in a text message to VG.
He says that the corona measures were important to prevent the spread of infection, which protected vulnerable and risk-exposed people. Bøe reminds that the current infection control law already has provisions that limit freedom of movement in the event of a new pandemic.
Among other things, regulations can be issued regarding the entry quarantine, closing businesses and adopting bans on meetings without visiting the Storting.
– Now it is proposed that the rules on isolation and quarantine, which have only been temporary and linked to covid-19, be made general and permanent. There is a lot that needs to be done before these authorities can be triggered, and the law requires that the measures are not more intrusive and do not last unnecessarily long, writes Bøe.
– The consideration of protecting society and preventing infectious disease that is dangerous to the public in a crisis situation, I believe, justifies it well, he says.
HEALTH POLITICIAN: Truls Vasvik from the Labor Party. Photo: Stortinget / Stortinget
– Must have clear references
The Labor Party’s health policy spokesperson, Truls Vasvik, responds as follows:
– The experiences from the pandemic showed us that we must have clear rules to deal with infection. With this proposal, and the consideration in the Storting, we are ensuring a democratic anchoring of permanent statutory provisions on quarantine that ensure proper preparedness – not temporary provisions as during the corona pandemic, he writes in a text message.
– By following the government’s proposal, this is framed in law with frameworks that can be tested in court, he adds.
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Published: 08.12.23 at 04:01
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2023-12-08 03:01:54
#Longing #pandemic #proposal #Authoritarian #tendencies
