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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 628 asked in the Legislative Council on 17 June 2020 by Hon Martin Aldridge

Parliament: 40 Session: 1

CORONAVIRUS — INTRASTATE AND INTERSTATE TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS

628. Hon MARTIN ALDRIDGE to the parliamentary secretary representing the Minister for Health:

I refer to Legislative Council question without notice 520 asked on 21 May 2020 and the minister's claim that COVID-19 health advice sought by me was cabinet-in-confidence, and to tabled paper 3957 of 16 June 2020 and the Leader of the House's claim to have tabled ''all health and other advice provided to government''.

(1) Why was advice that the minister identified in part (2) of his answer to question without notice 520 that was received by government during the week of 23 March 2020, and on 29 March 2020, not tabled by the Leader of the House on behalf of the government?

(2) Do any of the documents tabled by the Leader of the House fall within the minister's definition of cabinet-in-confidence as claimed by him in answer to part (4) of question without notice 520?

(3) Is the State Disaster Council a subcommittee of cabinet; and, if so, from what date has it been a subcommittee of cabinet?

(4) Why has no advice been tabled that predates decisions by the state government to restrict interstate and intrastate travel?

(5) How does the Chief Health Officer determine that intrastate and interstate travel restrictions have been effective and ought to remain in place in the context of multiple measures being in place simultaneously and the fact that the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee has not made any recommendation to restrict interstate travel?

Hon ALANNA CLOHESY replied:

I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question.

(1) The advice is cabinet-in-confidence.

(2) No.

(3) Although not a formal subcommittee of cabinet, during the COVID-19 pandemic period, the State Disaster Council meets concurrently as the Security and Emergency Committee of Cabinet, and all its deliberations are then considered by cabinet.

(4) The advice is cabinet-in-confidence.

(5) The only positive cases of COVID-19 reported in Western Australia since 12 April 2020 have been in travellers arriving at the state border, including by air and sea. Adherence to border controls, quarantine, testing and isolation measures put in place under the relevant directions has effectively stopped the spread of COVID-19 in the community.