CORONAVIRUS —
MANDATORY VACCINATION POLICY
643. Mrs L.A. MUNDAY to the Premier:
I refer to the state government's
safe and proportionate approach to preparing Western Australia for the expected
transmission of COVID-19 in our community.
Can the Premier update the house on the response to the COVID-19
vaccination mandate for certain workers and certain industries?
Mr M.
McGOWAN replied:
I
thank the member for Dawesville for the question. The mandatory vaccination
policy we announced yesterday is safe and proportionate based upon
expert health advice and is a clear framework for industries and workers across
Western Australia. We want to be as safe as possible before such time as we have
any introduction of COVID into Western Australia,
and the way to do that is to get as many people vaccinated as quickly as
possible. I especially do not want to
see people die in Western Australia and we want to make sure that we avoid the
problems that New South Wales and Victoria have gone through. The danger from
Delta is very real; therefore, I say to all Western Australians, do not
wait to get vaccinated; do not wait for another outbreak. Please get vaccinated
now.
We
have seen that a majority of Western Australians understand this message—a
vast majority of Western Australians understand this message. Today
Australia's three major supermarkets, Coles, Woolworths and Aldi,
announced vaccination mandates for their workers, but in any event, we have announced
an overarching one for supermarket workforces.
We have seen Wesfarmers back WA's vaccination mandate and that includes
businesses like Bunnings, whose
workers will also need to be vaccinated by the end of January. Its managing
director, Rob Scott, has indicated his support for the policy. We saw
support for the policy from the Tourism Council of Western Australia, the Chamber of Minerals and Energy and the Western Australian
Chamber of Commerce and Industry. They all indicated their support. The
Australian Hotels Association has recognised the benefits of the policy.
According to my notes, Bradley Woods told the media yesterday that he, and I quote
—
understands why mandatory
vaccinations are critical to keeping the industry open.
He said also that a lot of businesses have reported, and I further
quote —
a massive spike in people taking
interest in getting the vaccination because they want to get it out of the way now.
When it comes to the unions and the
not-for-profit sector, the State School Teachers' Union of WA supports
the policy saying that it removes uncertainty for teachers and mitigates
anxiety across the education workforce. The Western
Australian Council of Social Service says that it supports the policy because
it supports the most vulnerable people in our community, and the broader
union movement has overwhelmingly supported what we are doing. It is very rare to find overwhelming agreement from
industry, business, unions and the community sector on one issue, but on
this issue the policy we have announced has achieved that outcome, which is
terrific. That is why it is very disappointing to hear that the opposition is
criticising what we have done. I thought that the opposition leader was more
reasonable than the way she has conducted herself over the course of the last
day. Her comments yesterday gave some comfort to those people who oppose this
policy when she said that the policy was, and I quote, ''disappointing'' and ''of great concern''.
She has given comfort and support to those people who oppose vaccination.
What the opposition is doing is actually dangerous. It is dangerous to the
health of the people of Western Australia. Members opposite are so in the mindset
that they are the opposition and therefore they oppose that they do not
actually recognise when they should support. They do not use the flexibility
that their brain should provide to understand
that there are times to stand up and do the right thing. Why do not you
understand that? Stop undermining the health and welfare and safety and
lives of Western Australians! Actually act responsibly for a change!