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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 769 asked in the Legislative Assembly on 16 November 2021 by Mr P.J. Rundle

Parliament: 41 Session: 1

CORONAVIRUS — SCHOOLS — VENTILATION

769. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Premier:

I refer to comments from the Australian Medical Association WA president, Mark Duncan-Smith, that suggest that the WA government has had its head in the sand over the need to ensure ventilation standards in schools. Will the Premier detail to the house what measures the government has taken to date to prevent the spread of COVID-19 through our classrooms in 2022?

Several members interjected.

The SPEAKER: The Premier.

Mr M. McGOWAN replied:

We have done everything we can to prevent the spread of COVID-19 throughout the course of the last two years. When the member for Roe said ''head in the sand'', I think he should look in the mirror, because we have done everything possible to stop it and, as a consequence, we have had the best health and economic outcomes of anywhere in the entire world—yet the member for Roe still finds ways to criticise. Over the course of the last two years, while the world burned with COVID, one person in Western Australia has acquired the virus and passed away—one person—yet the member for Roe comes in here and criticises every single day. He finds ways to attack, criticise and undermine. We have got these outrageous rallies going in Victoria and multiple death threats and intimidation happening here in Western Australia, yet the member for Roe still finds ways of undermining. Why do you not just support us? Why do you not say to your constituents, ''Please go and get vaccinated''? Why do you not go out there and do that? Why do you not actually condemn some of the conduct that is going on out there?

Point of Order

The SPEAKER: Premier, please sit down. I will take the point of order. It cannot just be a point of disagreement; it has to be a genuine point of order.

Mr V.A. CATANIA: No; it is standing order 78, which states that answers must be relevant to the question. Will the Premier answer the question that the member for Roe asked?

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Premier.

Questions without Notice Resumed

Mr M. McGOWAN: It would just be great if the state opposition—the Liberals and Nationals—actually helped us with this. It would be great if the shadow Minister for Health put up a post encouraging vaccination. There are no posts and no words from her encouraging vaccination. We are out there trying to get people vaccinated across the state and all the Liberals and Nationals do is undermine.

New South Wales has adopted one model and Victoria has adopted another model. There are different models in place in terms of ventilation in our schools. The Department of Education is reviewing this at the moment. I will explain to the member for Roe something that he may not know. New South Wales and Victoria have lots of COVID in the community, so it is obviously urgent in those communities in New South Wales and Victoria. We do not have COVID here; therefore, we are working through what the best options are for the Western Australian context.