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.