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<\/p>\nby: Nolan Barton<\/p>\n
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(Natural News<\/a>) The Scottish government has made public a set of proposals\u00a0to make some coronavirus (COVID-19) emergency powers permanent<\/a>, including the ability to impose a lockdown.<\/p>\n Under current emergency powers granted to the\u00a0incumbent\u00a0Scottish Nationalist Party<\/em>\u00a0(SNP), the government\u00a0is able to\u00a0enact temporary laws forcing businesses and educational establishments to close their doors, as well as release prisoners from incarceration early if\u00a0ministers deem the cause necessary.<\/p>\n The government proposed that\u00a0Scottish ministers\u00a0should be\u00a0given \u201cthe same powers to protect the people of Scotland from any incidence or spread of infection or contamination, which presents or could present significant harm to human health in Scotland, not just COVID.\u201d<\/p>\n A\u00a0new consultation\u00a0has been established to \u201cseek the public\u2019s views\u201d on extending a host of ministerial powers\u00a0in relation to public health measures\u00a0far beyond their March 2022 expiration. John Swinney, Scotland\u2019s\u00a0deputy\u00a0first\u00a0minister and\u00a0cabinet\u00a0secretary for COVID\u00a0recovery, insisted that some measures should be kept \u201cwhere there is demonstrable benefit to the people of Scotland.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is an opportunity to maintain changes that have been welcomed by people who now don\u2019t want to lose transformations that have been innovative, beneficial and increased access to service,\u201d Swinney said.<\/p>\n Ministers are looking at whether new legislation should be passed to make some of the ministerial powers permanent. (Related:\u00a0Tyrannical judges order coronavirus patients in Kentucky to wear tracking devices like prisoners, but how far do \u2019emergency powers\u2019 go?<\/a>)<\/p>\n Many of the proposals are aimed at future COVID-19 outbreaks, or the spread of any other infectious virus that poses a serious risk to public health. The government\u2019s consultation said this would mean \u201cministers can respond effectively and rapidly to any future threats to public health in Scotland.\u201d<\/p>\n The 12-week consultation will close on Nov. 9.<\/p>\n Under the guise of attempting to \u201cprotect Scotland against future public health threats,\u201d the government has sought to enshrine \u201cpowers to make directions to close educational establishments\u201d that would allow legislators to close schools during the remainder of the pandemic and at any future date in which keeping them open is considered a threat to public health by the chief medical officer.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the event of a future pandemic, the broad nature of the powers will provide ministers with the flexibility to take the action needed to address the specific circumstances of the health emergency,\u201d the consultation document stated.<\/p>\n Among the plans for the justice system are calls for\u00a0continued powers to permit the early release of prisoners<\/a>\u00a0and allowing people to take part in court cases remotely. The consultation\u00a0has also suggested a permanent shift to more digital options, including the remote registration of deaths or still births, council meetings and electronic court documents.<\/p>\n The government argued that it would be \u201cprudent to extend the powers\u201d established towards the start of the pandemic so ministers can choose \u201cto order the release of groups of prisoners\u201d to alleviate pressure on the prison system.<\/p>\n Regarding the implementation of vaccination programs, the government has proposed that the relaxation on those who are permitted to administer the vaccines be extended indefinitely.<\/p>\n According to the consultation document, this would\u00a0allow \u201cnurses, midwives and paramedics\u201d to\u00a0be\u00a0enlisted as vaccinators for the COVID-19 vaccines and other routine vaccinations, such as those against the flu, \u201cto make it easier to quickly protect the population from infectious disease.\u201d<\/p>\n Opposition party members criticized the proposals, with Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP)\u00a0Murdo\u00a0Fraser of the Scottish Conservative Party characterizing the effort\u00a0as \u201ca dangerous route to go down.\u201d Fraser, who is the\u00a0COVID\u00a0recovery spokesman\u00a0for the Scottish Tories, said the extension of special powers during the COVID-19 crisis was intended to be temporary measures to deal with the pandemic.<\/p>\n \u201cThe fact that SNP ministers are now seeking to make many of them permanent is a clear sign they are unwilling to give up their control over people\u2019s lives,\u201d Fraser said. (Related:\u00a0For decades, U.S. Presidents have signed Executive Orders that activate a DICTATORSHIP during a \u201cnational emergency.\u201d<\/a>)<\/p>\n \u201cWith the vast majority of COVID\u00a0restrictions having now been eased, Scots will be asking serious questions over why these laws would need to remain in place permanently. It is a dangerous route to go down to allow ministers to implement sweeping powers upon society on a whim.\u201d<\/p>\n The current emergency powers were set to expire on Sept. 30, but the SNP managed to push through a\u00a0six-month\u00a0extension weeks before the Parliament closed for its summer recess at the end of June.<\/p>\n Swinney originally told MSPs that there would likely be a follow-up request to extend provisions by another six months, prolonging the emergency powers to September 2022, before setting out the proposal for no time limit on the provisions.<\/p>\n Fraser\u00a0noted\u00a0that the government had \u201calready steamrolled\u201d its previous request for\u00a0an extension\u00a0to emergency\u00a0powers, \u201cand now they\u2019ve snuck this consultation out while it is still in recess.\u201d He said the government \u201cis clearly keen to avoid scrutiny over their plans which would include releasing prisoners early and controlling how schools operate.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYet again, the SNP are making rash decisions over COVID-related laws, when the focus should be on accelerating our recovery from the pandemic,\u201d Fraser said.<\/p>\n Follow\u00a0Pandemic.news<\/a>\u00a0for more news related to the coronavirus pandemic.<\/p>\n Sources include:<\/strong><\/p>\nConsultation established\u00a0to seek\u00a0opinion on proposed extension of emergency powers<\/h2>\n
Government can shut down schools any time<\/h3>\n
Prisoners can be released early<\/h3>\n
Nondoctors can administer vaccines<\/h3>\n
Opposition: Government is unwilling to give up control over people\u2019s lives<\/h2>\n