The Government now has to convince citizens that another state of emergency is necessary, says Independent Senator Anthony Vieira.

Speaking to the media outside Parliament on Friday, Vieira said: “I think that the Government now has a burden of proof to try and convince the population that it is needed,” adding that the Government could no longer simply say the country had serious crime.

“They now have to come with some data. Something to show outcomes and why it is necessary, because at the end of the day the Constitution expects that people’s fundamental rights and freedoms will be the norm. A state of emergency is the exception, he said.