CORONAVIRUS — HOSPITALS — BIRTHS
47. Ms L. METTAM to the Minister for Health:
I have a supplementary
question. Why will the Minister for Health not commit to at least sitting down
and consulting with the Health Consumers' Council WA and the
Chief Health Officer to reconsider a commonsense approach to this issue?
Mr R.H. COOK replied:
As I just said, these changes have already been announced.
They will take place in the next 24 hours. We will all be very happy to see the
further easing of restrictions. I have watched all my colleagues in this
chamber struggling with the mask situation. The easing of that restriction is
the one that people would welcome the most. From that perspective, this is
good.
I have never said that I will
not sit down and meet with anyone who has concerns, the least of which is the Health Consumers' Council, which I have a very
strong relationship with. In the event that such a meeting takes place,
I will commit that the government will continue to observe the public health
advice to keep Western Australians safe. That is what we will do every time we
come to this situation.
The last thing we want is
a politician riding into the room saying, ''I know better than the Chief
Health Officer. I know better than all the public health officials who
advise you. I know better than the people who run our hospitals—the
doctors, the nurses and the allied health professionals who are dealing with
this day in and day out.'' The last thing we want is the arrogance of a politician
who says, ''All your opinions don't matter anymore. All the
expertise that you bring to your profession does not matter anymore because we
as politicians know better.'' We do not, and members on the other side
of the chamber need to remember that—well, not all members on the other
side of the chamber, but from that bit down!
When lives are at risk, we need to make sure that we take on board the best
medical and health advice that we can. Stop second-guessing it, stop
politicising it and stop weaponising it. For goodness sake! Get behind every
other Western Australian who supports our efforts to get rid of this virus.