CORONAVIRUS —
MANDATORY VACCINATIONS —FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES VOLUNTEERS
790. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Minister for Emergency Services:
I have a supplementary question. Given
that it is just six weeks until this decision is enforced, what steps is the
minister taking to ensure that the 26 000 emergency services volunteers who
will be caught up by it comply with the government's direction?
Mr R.R.
WHITBY replied:
Every day the government is urging
people to roll up their sleeves. I wish the member would do the same and then
we would get there. We need to work together on this. We need to urge everyone
to get together, to roll up their sleeves and to do their bit to get to 90 per
cent as soon as possible.
Ms M.J. Davies: Why don't
you just make it clear?
Mr R.R. WHITBY: I would say
that I go all over the state, members opposite, and I speak to volunteer
emergency responders. They have a commitment to their communities. They do what
they do because they want to protect people. They want to protect their fellow
citizens. There is no greater act of protection than rolling up your sleeve and
being vaccinated. We also have an obligation to the vast majority of Western Australians,
including volunteers and career firefighters, who are already doing the right
thing.
I want to refer members to what a talkback
caller to ABC radio said the other day. Barry called up and said, ''I'm
a volunteer firefighter.'' He was referring to an executive of a volunteer
association who was having an issue with one word in the directions. He had
issue with the word ''must'' comply with the directions rather
than ''shall''. Barry put this individual in his place. Members
opposite might know this individual. Darren Brown is his name. I think he might
have had some connection with the opposition at some time in the past, but I will
leave members opposite to ponder that. Barry said about Darren's
comments —
� I'm a volunteer firefighter
and I think this guy's getting caught up in semantics. Look, I've
recently become a grandfather � I don't want to sit in an enclosed cab
with people who aren't vaxxed. When COVID
walks in next year, and it will � don't want to carry that to my
grandchild. I want everybody vaxxed around me, and that's the
end of it. These people should get a life and grow up.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER: Order, please,
members! The minister is attempting to speak.
Mr R.R. WHITBY: It was not
enough for Barry to make a comment on radio. Maybe members should also listen
to caller John, who followed Barry.
Mr R.H. Cook: What did John
say?
Mr R.R. WHITBY: John said —
I think that previous bloke � stole
my thunder, well and truly � that bloke's —
He is referring to Darren Brown, a former
associate of those opposite —
just
looking for excuses. It's just a load of rubbish. As that man's
just said, he doesn't want to sit in the cab with people that are not vaccinated � that's
only a jab in your arm, I've had both of them and I'm 78 years old.
I
urge members opposite not to create division, uncertainty and anxiety, to
listen to Barry and John, and join us and urge everyone to get
vaccinated.
The SPEAKER: That concludes
question time.