Unprecedented powers at Land Forces: A diagnosis of democratic risk

The prescription for protest

In my years as a GP, I never saw a patient cured by red tape, yet today we see the government doubling down on exactly that. The Land Forces Event Special Powers Bill has been the subject of intense scrutiny in the Legislative Council this week. What we are witnessing is not just bureaucracy: it is a significant expansion of state power that threatens the fundamental rights of every citizen in our state.

The debate centred on the sheer scale of the designated event area. We are looking at a zone that encompasses major public transport hubs and thoroughfares. The government admits that individuals simply passing through could be subject to intense police scrutiny. While ministers claim these powers are purely pragmatic, the potential for abuse is clear. When you grant police the ability to stop, search, and detain people based on broad, subjective criteria, you are creating a waiting room where civil rights are left at the door.

The erosion of accountability

Perhaps the most concerning aspect of the legislation is the deliberate removal of traditional legal pathways. We saw clause after clause designed to shield these police orders from any meaningful challenge. If a declaration is made that restricts your movement or shuts down a protest, you are effectively left without a court to turn to for immediate relief. This isn't just a technicality, it is a structural dismantling of the checks and balances that define a healthy democracy.

We are told that these are simply measures to ensure the security of a weapons fair. But we must ask ourselves at what cost? When we sacrifice the ability to challenge the state in real-time, we are not just protecting an event; we are inviting a future where dissent becomes a logistical impossibility. I believe our strength lies in our ability to hold power to account, not in granting it absolute immunity.

If you value science-based, evidence-led policy that respects our civil liberties, I invite you to see more of our work in the House by subscribing to my channel at my YouTube channel. It is where we break down the noise to show you exactly what is being decided on your behalf.

The human cost of silence

The government insists these powers are only for extreme cases, yet they have refused to include basic protections for peaceful protesters. History teaches us that when we provide the tools for overreach, they will eventually be used. We have seen it before with previous event-based legislation, where ordinary citizens with no history of violence found themselves on excluded persons lists simply for being present in the wrong place at the wrong time.

My role in the House is to provide a voice for those who believe that security should never come at the expense of our fundamental rights. You can read the full record of the debate to see exactly how these powers were justified. If you are ready to stand for evidence, science, and freedom, I invite you to join the movement for a better WA at Legalise Cannabis WA.