Question On Notice No. 3009 asked in the Legislative Council on 23 June 2020 by Hon Martin Aldridge
Question Directed to the: Leader of the House representing the Premier
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
Question
I
refer to the State Disaster Council (SDC) formed in response to the COVID-19
pandemic, and I ask:
(a) on
what date was the SDC formed;
(b) on
what dates have the SDC met;
(c) who
has chaired each meeting of the SDC identified in (b);
(d) who has formed the membership of
the SDC, including relevant commencement and conclusion dates (if applicable);
(e) for
each meeting of the SDC who was in attendance at each meeting;
(f) please
table minutes of each meeting of the SDC, including any briefing material and
situation reports provided to the meeting;
(g) on how many of the occasions
identified in (b), has the SDC met with the Security and Emergency Committee of
Cabinet (SECC); and
(h) who has formed the membership of
the SECC, including relevant commencement and conclusion dates (if applicable)?
Answered on 9 September 2020
Department of the Premier and Cabinet advise:
(a) 16 March 2020
(b) 18, 20, 23, 24, 25 27, 29, 30 March
3, 7, 9, 17, 21 and 24 April
1, 5, 8, 15, 29 May
10, 24 July
7 August
(c) The Premier of Western Australia. However, at the 10 July meeting the Premier left after the first half hour, and the remainder of the meeting was chaired by the Minister for Police.
(d) Since 16 March 2020
Statutory Members
The Premier – Chair
The Minister for Emergency Services
The State Emergency Coordinator
Members appointed by the Chair
The Deputy Premier; Minister for Health
The Minister for Education
The Minister for Police
The Minister for Ports
The Attorney General
The Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Interests
The Minister for Transport
The Minister for Innovation and ICT
Director General, Department of the Premier and Cabinet - as Executive Officer
Since 17 March 2020:
The Public Sector Commissioner
Since 20 March 2020:
The Minister for Local Government
The Treasurer
(e) The Chief Health Officer and the Director General, Department of Health have attended every meeting. The Commissioner, Fire and Emergency Services attended meetings from 18 March to 26 June and the Minister for Community Services and the State Welfare Coordinator have attended meetings since 21 April. A note-taker has been present at each meeting.
For each of the members listed above in (d), heads of Department, advisors and Chiefs of Staff were invited as observers.
(f) The State Disaster Council is not itself a sub-committee of Cabinet, however, during the COVID-19 pandemic period the State Disaster Council and the Security and Emergency Committee of Cabinet have met concurrently on each occasion since the State Disaster Council’s establishment on 16 March 2020. All deliberations are then considered by Cabinet and subject to Cabinet confidentiality.
(g) As above – all meetings since 18 March 2020.
(h) The standing membership of the SECC is:
Premier (Chair);
Deputy Premier;
Attorney General;
Minister for Police;
Minister for Emergency Services;
Minister for Health;
Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Interests;
Minister for Defence Issues;
Minister for Innovation and ICT;
any other Ministers invited by the Chair.