By Iain Gray
TWO leading North Down unionists have strongly criticised planned changes to health laws.
Local MP Alex Easton and MLA Stephen Dunne have attacked new legislation, arguing it’s a massive overreach of government powers that could lead to the public being forced to take vaccines.
That’s even though Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has stated he’s ‘not in favour of mandatory vaccination, even in limited and tightly prescribed circumstances’, while branding attacks on the legislation a ‘misunderstanding’ of it.
A draft version of new health laws was published over the summer and sent out for public consultation.
In recent weeks it has picked up a huge amount of attention online, mainly from people who fear it could be used to extend government powers over vaccines and quarantines.
The draft legislation itself likely wouldn’t grant officials the power to force the general public to get vaccinated, but online critics fear it could be used to build later laws along those lines.
Some of the internet attention comes from people peddling anti-vaccine conspiracy theories, though others have raised worries that the draft legislation is muddled and loosely-worded.
The consultation on it was supposed to end this week, but has now been extended to mid-October because of the recent criticism.
For MP Alex Easton, the draft legislation is ‘a significant overreach by the state’ that he feels he must oppose.
“Provisions that enable authorities to compel individuals to undergo medical examinations, be vaccinated, quarantined or restricted from working and moving freely are deeply concerning,” said the independent Unionist.
“These measures, while potentially intended to safeguard public health, risk undermining personal freedoms and civil liberties without adequate checks and balances.
“It is my duty to ensure that the laws we pass protect both public health and the fundamental rights of every citizen. The provisions in this bill tilt too far in favour of government control, and I fear they could lead to misuse or disproportionate responses.”
North Down’s MP added that he wants to see laws dealing with massive public health emergencies ‘strike the right balance between protecting society and safeguarding the freedoms we hold dear’.
“This bill fails to achieve that balance, and I therefore cannot support it,” he said.
Stephen Dunne revealed that his office has been contacted by a large number of people raising worries about the new laws, adding that he personally believes them to be ‘infringements on individual rights, liberty and freedoms’.
“I welcome that the Health Minister has chosen to extend the deadline for consultation responses, as well as his clarification that he is not in favour of forced vaccination,” said the DUP MLA.
“The minister’s comments do, however, raise questions as to why his own views seem to contradict those of his department, and I look forward to the opportunity to scrutinise these proposals further should they reach the Assembly floor.”
Extending the consultation closure date, Mike Nesbitt said the new laws are intended to ‘replace outdated legislation’, adding the government needs to ‘consider all options’.
The minister said: “It is right that we have a public conversation about all potential options in the public consultation as we decide what should be in the final bill to protect us all.
“Any draft legislation emerging from the consultation must go through the Northern Ireland Assembly’s normal scrutiny processes, including a detailed review by the Health Committee and a debate followed by votes of the full Assembly.
“I am determined that the planned bill will strike the correct balance between the state’s responsibility to protect the public’s health, our collective responsibility to protect each other, and the autonomy, rights and dignity of individuals.
“The public consultation process and the subsequent assembly scrutiny processes will help us achieve that balance.”
The consultation will now close on October 14, and can be found on the Department of Health’s website www.health-ni.gov.uk.
