CORONAVIRUS —
INTERSTATE BORDER RESTRICTIONS — CHIEF HEALTH OFFICER ADVICE
804. Mr P.A. KATSAMBANIS to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. The
Premier accuses us of not listening to his answers, but he clearly was not
listening to the question.
The SPEAKER: That is a preamble.
Ask a straight question, please.
Mr P.A. KATSAMBANIS: Is it a fact
that the Premier was given that advice that the Chief Health Officer, a man of
utmost integrity, told the committee he had given the Premier, or is he
accusing this man of misleading a parliamentary committee?
Mr M.
McGOWAN replied:
What he said yesterday was that the
government could consider things in the future. That is what he said. Then he
gave us written advice today which indicated that the border should remain
closed.
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
The SPEAKER: Member for
Cottesloe!
Mr M. McGOWAN: What is clear
to me is that the Liberal Party wants to bring all the structures down that
have protected Western Australia. That is all it wanted to do the whole way
along.
Mr P.A. Katsambanis
interjected.
The SPEAKER: Member for
Hillarys, you have had two goes at questions. Listen to the answer.
Mr M. McGOWAN: You just come
and complain and want to undermine everything that we have done in conjunction with the Chief Health Officer, in
conjunction with the Department of Health, in conjunction with the COVID
coordinator, Sharyn O'Neill, and in conjunction with the police
commissioner to protect Western Australians.
Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup interjected.
The SPEAKER: Member for
Dawesville, you are on three.
Mr M. McGOWAN: That is all
they are trying to do and that is all they do the whole way along. It is
absolutely bizarre the way you behave!
In the eastern states, the Liberal
Party is out there attacking the Victorian government, which has put in place
all sorts of measures to protect health, and is saying bring all those measures
down that protect the health of Victorians.
Mr P.A. Katsambanis
interjected.
The SPEAKER: Member for
Hillarys, I call you for the first and second time.
Mr M. McGOWAN: Here we have
an ex–Victorian member of Parliament saying, ''Bring down the
measures that kept Western Australians safe.''
Mr P.A. Katsambanis
interjected.
The SPEAKER: Member for
Hillarys, I call you to order for the third time.
Mr M. McGOWAN: The Liberal Party
in Western Australia just seems to want the virus to come back in.
Mr P.A. Katsambanis
interjected.
The SPEAKER: Yes, you did not
hear; you were too busy shouting.
Mr M. McGOWAN: It just seems
to want the virus to come back in. That seems to be what it is trying to
achieve here; otherwise, I do not know what it is trying to achieve. What is it
trying to achieve? In all its undermining and criticism, what is the opposition
trying to get to? We have had six months and one week without any cases in Western Australia. Should we not be celebrating
that? Should we not be saying that is a good outcome? We have the lowest
unemployment rate of any state in Australia. Should we not be saying that is a good
outcome? Should we not be building confidence? Should the opposition not be out
there saying that it wants to work with the government to get better outcomes
and continue these outcomes in the future, rather than coming along here every
single day undermining, criticising and not being constructive, and I might add,
never having a policy of its own? What is its policy? Bring down the border? Is
that the opposition's policy?
Mrs L.M. Harvey: No.
Mr M. McGOWAN: Okay, well it
used to be! As I recall, it was going to be that the opposition was waiting for
the budget and then it was going to release all these policies. Where are the
policies?
Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup: It's
been a week, mate!
Mr M. McGOWAN: Exactly! The
Leader of the Opposition's response to the budget speech yesterday had
not a single policy. What are the policies?
Several members interjected.
Mr
M. McGOWAN: Two policies! Did
members hear that? The opposition has two policies. The shadow Treasurer does
not even get involved in policy development, because he cannot even speak to
the Leader of the Opposition. You are completely dysfunctional and
completely hopeless.