CORONAVIRUS —
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
368. Ms L. METTAM to the Premier:
Given that the Premier has had some
time to consider his response last week, I ask again: why can hundreds of
passengers be crammed onto a train without physical distancing, in line with
current advice —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER: Members! I want
to hear this.
Ms R. Saffioti interjected.
The SPEAKER: Minister for
Transport, I call you to order for the first time. Relax.
Ms L. METTAM: Chill!
Why can hundreds of passengers be
crammed onto a train without physical distancing, in line with government
advice, yet struggling Western Australian small hospitality businesses can have
only 20 customers, no matter how large their venue?
Mr M.
McGOWAN replied:
I
think the events of today and yesterday indicate that the government's
cautious approach about further opening up venues across the state and having a stepped and staged approach is the
right one. We need to make sure that we adhere to the health advice that
we receive, as other states are doing. I have been talking to other Premiers
over the course of the last day or so about
what they are doing and each of us is of the view that we need to make sure
that we accept the health advice we get and take cautious and staged
approaches to these things. We are taking the health advice about public
transport, as has been advised to the shadow minister on many occasions. We are
requesting that people practise good hygiene. We are increasing the cleaning
and sanitation of our trains and buses across the state. We are currently at around 40 per cent patronage on our trains and
buses across Western Australia, which is probably understandable in the
current circumstances. Obviously, that means that there is far less crowding on
our trains, buses and ferries across Western Australia that are run by the
public sector. I think that answers the member's question.
I note that she has been trying to
politicise this issue and that she used this photograph that is eight years old
in a tweet and made out like it is a current photograph.
Several members interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN: That is very
misleading.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER: Members! The
Premier can answer on his own without your support.
Point of Order
Mr Z.R.F.
KIRKUP: I am just clarifying the use of props in the chamber.
Mr D.R. Michael interjected.
The
SPEAKER: Member for Balcatta, are you an expert again? I gave
permission for it to be used in the chamber today. I did not specify which
person would use it.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr M. McGOWAN: It is
unethical to do this.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER: Members!
Mr M. McGOWAN: It is very
poor form to take a photograph that is eight years old and pretend that it is
current for political purposes.
Mr D.C. Nalder interjected.
The SPEAKER: Member for
Bateman!
Mr M. McGOWAN: That is
unethical.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER: Premier, obviously your backbench members do not
have any confidence in you, because they are trying to answer for you.
Mr M. McGOWAN: It is
deeply unethical and inappropriate to do that, member for Vasse. She should not
do that. She is laughing about it.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER: Member for
Vasse!
Mr M. McGOWAN: The member
for Vasse is a senior public person in the state and what she says and does
carries some weight, so people who see that photograph would assume that it was
taken last week, but it was taken eight years ago.
Mr D.C. Nalder interjected.
The SPEAKER: Member for
Bateman, I call you to order for the third time.
Mr M. McGOWAN: The member
for Vasse is pretending that it is a current photograph. If a journalist did
that, they would be called before the
Australian Press Council. It is wrong on her behalf to have done that and, in
particular, to have done it in the context of the COVID-19 crisis that
our state is facing. To use a photograph in that way is unethical,
inappropriate and bordering on improper.