❓ A parliamentary question regarding the WA COVID-19 vaccination rollout plan elicits a heated response from the Minister for Health, accusing the opposition of encouraging anti-vaccination sentiment and threats against public figures. The Premier then calls a member of parliament a moron.
AnsweredQoN 662Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS — VACCINATIONS — TARGET
662. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Minister for Health:
Minister, you did not actually
answer the question. I have a supplementary question. Would it not be better to
link all these announcements into a cohesive
plan so that everyone in Western Australia understands what you are working towards and we can get people rolling up to get vaccinated, sooner rather than
later?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Answer from the
Minister for Health, please.
662. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Minister for Health:
Minister, you did not actually
answer the question. I have a supplementary question. Would it not be better to
link all these announcements into a cohesive
plan so that everyone in Western Australia understands what you are working towards and we can get people rolling up to get vaccinated, sooner rather than
later?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Answer from the
Minister for Health, please.
AnswerView source ↗
We all know that the mission here
is to live with COVID, and that is why we are undertaking an extensive process of making sure we work with all interests in the
community, particularly our employer and employee groups, making sure we listen to the science, not to Hon Nick Goiran , and making sure that we take the opportunity to consult widely with the community on what is the best way that we step forward. What we do
know is that the Western Australian community
have done an outstanding job in protecting themselves and each other by
observing all the things that we need to make sure that we do to get through
the global pandemic. Of course, what everyone in Western Australia— not
everyone, but what everyone in Western Australia knows is that the mission at
the moment is about getting vaccinated. Of course, we are all appalled by the
behaviour of those who would seek to threaten both leaders in the community and
their families who are promoting vaccination and the importance of making sure
that we can all get vaccinated because we know that it is effective, safe and
that it is what will keep each other safe.
You wonder about why these people continue to persist with
this activity, this insidious dangerous activity. I saw it this morning—intimidating
members of Parliament as they came in today. That is because, in the world of
social media, there are people who are
encouraging them—people who are encouraging them day to day. It is not
necessarily in their words. It is often coded language like, ''You
don't need to tell someone if you are vaccinated or not. You don't need to listen to the science. Why
should you be compelled to get yourself vaccinated.?'' We know where
this code is coming from. This code is coming from those opposite.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Mr R.H. COOK : Hon Nick Goiran
is the one who is giving succour and encouragement to these people who are
threatening leaders in the community, including the Premier and his family.
Several members interjected.
Mr R.H. COOK : He is the one—he
and others who you listen to.
Dr D.J. Honey How
disgraceful!
Mr R.H. COOK : We know the
language, member!
The SPEAKER : If you pause for
a moment, minister. Member for Cottesloe, your consistent and repetitive
interjections are inciting everyone else to interject. Can I ask you for you to
—
Dr D.J. Honey : It started
before me!
The SPEAKER : Would you like
to be the first person to be asked to leave? No? If you would not, you will not
answer back to the Speaker, thank you; and perhaps reflect on your behaviour
during question time today. Minister.
Mr R.H. COOK : We have people
who are threatening the lives of politicians, namely, the Premier; threatening
his family, threatening the schools that his family go to. Who are these people
and who is encouraging them? We know who is encouraging them, and that is those
who use that language. It is not the words, member for Cottesloe; it is the
coded language. It is the coded language that says —
Withdrawal of Remark
Dr D.J.
HONEY : I have a point of order.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : The point of order will be heard in silence.
Dr D.J. HONEY : Madam Speaker,
the minister —
Mr M. McGowan : Moron! You're
a first-rate idiot.
Dr D.J. HONEY : Pardon!
Mr M. McGowan : You are.
The SPEAKER : Premier, I have
said that the point of order will be heard in silence. I hope that it is a point
of order. For the information of all members, I will rule on the point of
order, not anyone else, and I require no advice from any of you.
Dr D.J. HONEY : The Premier
audibly across the chamber just called me a moron. I ask that he withdraw it,
and I have a second point of order in relation to the Minister for Health and
the comments he made.
The SPEAKER : That was
subsequent to standing to make a point of order. I would like to hear the point
of order that you were going to make in the first place.
Dr D.J. HONEY : My point of
order, Madam Speaker, is that the Minister for Health is impugning the
character of a member in the other place—directly impugning the
character of a member in the other place. It is malicious and false.
The SPEAKER : There is a clear
ruling on that. There is no point of order on that. On the other point of order
that you raised, I ask that the Premier withdraw that.
Mr M.
McGOWAN : I withdraw.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr R.H. COOK : It is not the
words; it is the language. It is the communication. We know what is happening
here. I am not impugning Hon Nick Goiran's character. I am impugning
his behaviour and the signals that he is sending to these people that it is
okay to prosecute these lies. It is okay to prosecute this anger. It is okay to
prosecute and threaten those who encourage that people get vaccinated and stay
safe.
There is a call that needs to be
made, member for Cottesloe, and it is not a call to order; it is a call to you!
You are the Leader of the Liberal Party. This is a test for you.
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
Mr R.H. COOK : This is a test
for you, member for Cottesloe. As the Leader of the Liberal Party, you have a very
single and important chore—that is, pull your man in line or accept
that he is actually the leader of your party and resign.
is to live with COVID, and that is why we are undertaking an extensive process of making sure we work with all interests in the
community, particularly our employer and employee groups, making sure we listen to the science, not to Hon Nick Goiran , and making sure that we take the opportunity to consult widely with the community on what is the best way that we step forward. What we do
know is that the Western Australian community
have done an outstanding job in protecting themselves and each other by
observing all the things that we need to make sure that we do to get through
the global pandemic. Of course, what everyone in Western Australia— not
everyone, but what everyone in Western Australia knows is that the mission at
the moment is about getting vaccinated. Of course, we are all appalled by the
behaviour of those who would seek to threaten both leaders in the community and
their families who are promoting vaccination and the importance of making sure
that we can all get vaccinated because we know that it is effective, safe and
that it is what will keep each other safe.
You wonder about why these people continue to persist with
this activity, this insidious dangerous activity. I saw it this morning—intimidating
members of Parliament as they came in today. That is because, in the world of
social media, there are people who are
encouraging them—people who are encouraging them day to day. It is not
necessarily in their words. It is often coded language like, ''You
don't need to tell someone if you are vaccinated or not. You don't need to listen to the science. Why
should you be compelled to get yourself vaccinated.?'' We know where
this code is coming from. This code is coming from those opposite.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Mr R.H. COOK : Hon Nick Goiran
is the one who is giving succour and encouragement to these people who are
threatening leaders in the community, including the Premier and his family.
Several members interjected.
Mr R.H. COOK : He is the one—he
and others who you listen to.
Dr D.J. Honey How
disgraceful!
Mr R.H. COOK : We know the
language, member!
The SPEAKER : If you pause for
a moment, minister. Member for Cottesloe, your consistent and repetitive
interjections are inciting everyone else to interject. Can I ask you for you to
—
Dr D.J. Honey : It started
before me!
The SPEAKER : Would you like
to be the first person to be asked to leave? No? If you would not, you will not
answer back to the Speaker, thank you; and perhaps reflect on your behaviour
during question time today. Minister.
Mr R.H. COOK : We have people
who are threatening the lives of politicians, namely, the Premier; threatening
his family, threatening the schools that his family go to. Who are these people
and who is encouraging them? We know who is encouraging them, and that is those
who use that language. It is not the words, member for Cottesloe; it is the
coded language. It is the coded language that says —
Withdrawal of Remark
Dr D.J.
HONEY : I have a point of order.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : The point of order will be heard in silence.
Dr D.J. HONEY : Madam Speaker,
the minister —
Mr M. McGowan : Moron! You're
a first-rate idiot.
Dr D.J. HONEY : Pardon!
Mr M. McGowan : You are.
The SPEAKER : Premier, I have
said that the point of order will be heard in silence. I hope that it is a point
of order. For the information of all members, I will rule on the point of
order, not anyone else, and I require no advice from any of you.
Dr D.J. HONEY : The Premier
audibly across the chamber just called me a moron. I ask that he withdraw it,
and I have a second point of order in relation to the Minister for Health and
the comments he made.
The SPEAKER : That was
subsequent to standing to make a point of order. I would like to hear the point
of order that you were going to make in the first place.
Dr D.J. HONEY : My point of
order, Madam Speaker, is that the Minister for Health is impugning the
character of a member in the other place—directly impugning the
character of a member in the other place. It is malicious and false.
The SPEAKER : There is a clear
ruling on that. There is no point of order on that. On the other point of order
that you raised, I ask that the Premier withdraw that.
Mr M.
McGOWAN : I withdraw.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr R.H. COOK : It is not the
words; it is the language. It is the communication. We know what is happening
here. I am not impugning Hon Nick Goiran's character. I am impugning
his behaviour and the signals that he is sending to these people that it is
okay to prosecute these lies. It is okay to prosecute this anger. It is okay to
prosecute and threaten those who encourage that people get vaccinated and stay
safe.
There is a call that needs to be
made, member for Cottesloe, and it is not a call to order; it is a call to you!
You are the Leader of the Liberal Party. This is a test for you.
Dr D.J. Honey interjected.
Mr R.H. COOK : This is a test
for you, member for Cottesloe. As the Leader of the Liberal Party, you have a very
single and important chore—that is, pull your man in line or accept
that he is actually the leader of your party and resign.
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