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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 758 asked in the Legislative Assembly on 24 September 2020 by Mrs A.K. Hayden

Parliament: 40 Session: 1

CORONAVIRUS — INTERSTATE BORDER RESTRICTIONS — TOURISM INDUSTRY

758. Mrs A.K. HAYDEN to the Premier:

If the government only intends to change its policy of lifting the interstate border after 28 days of community spread elimination in the eastern states to some other policy, will the Premier commit to giving the tourism industry and the broader community at least five weeks' notice so they can prepare their businesses, advertise, take bookings and employ staff?

Mr M. McGOWAN replied:

Our position is very clear. We follow the advice of the Chief Health Officer. He has provided advice on these matters on numerous occasions. If the Chief Health Officer's advice changes in light of what is occurring over east, obviously, we will provide further advice to the people of the state at that point in time.

With respect to the tourism industry, obviously, the tourism minister announced an important package the other day—the only one in Australia—for our travel agents across Western Australia. We are the first state in Australia to have done so. I hope and expect that other states will follow suit. More broadly, in respect of the tourism industry, as I may have said, I have been in a few regional locations in recent days. The feedback I got is that the tourism industry is doing better across regional WA than at any point in time in its history. That is because we have the closed borders. Western Australians are great travellers. They love to travel around the world. They are probably the world's greatest travellers. Obviously, people are restrained to our state, so they are getting out there and seeing our state in ways they never have before. When I was in the north and the south in the last few days—the deep south and the deep north—numerous people said to me that they had not been there for years but they loved it. Our measures have had some unusual impacts in getting people out there.

Clearly, if we get different health advice, we will provide that advice to the chamber, industry and people across the state.