❓ Mr. Katsambanis questions the Premier about the Chief Health Officer's advice on interstate border restrictions, suggesting potential discrepancies. The Premier vehemently denies any misleading information and accuses the opposition of undermining the government's COVID-19 response.
AnsweredQoN 803Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS —
INTERSTATE BORDER RESTRICTIONS — CHIEF HEALTH OFFICER ADVICE
803. Mr P.A. KATSAMBANIS to the Premier:
I refer to the statement made by the Chief Health Officer, Dr
Andy Robertson, a man of utmost integrity, at the Education and Health Standing
Committee yesterday, and I quote —
� we could consider removing the
quarantine requirements for states that have no community spread or a subset
thereof.
Can the Premier confirm that the Chief Health Officer
provided the Premier with that advice and that it continues to be a live option, or is the Premier saying that
the Chief Health Officer misled the parliamentary inquiry yesterday?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, please!
INTERSTATE BORDER RESTRICTIONS — CHIEF HEALTH OFFICER ADVICE
803. Mr P.A. KATSAMBANIS to the Premier:
I refer to the statement made by the Chief Health Officer, Dr
Andy Robertson, a man of utmost integrity, at the Education and Health Standing
Committee yesterday, and I quote —
� we could consider removing the
quarantine requirements for states that have no community spread or a subset
thereof.
Can the Premier confirm that the Chief Health Officer
provided the Premier with that advice and that it continues to be a live option, or is the Premier saying that
the Chief Health Officer misled the parliamentary inquiry yesterday?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, please!
AnswerView source ↗
The question contains a whole bunch of false premises. The
member obviously did not listen this morning. I read out the advice provided by
the Chief Health Officer to the police commissioner that was sent yesterday,
which I received a copy of this morning and which is completely clear that the
border should remain in place at this point in time. He said we can consider
things in the future and, obviously, any government would consider things in
the future. I do not understand what the Liberal Party is trying to achieve
here. What is it trying to achieve? All it wants to do the whole way along is
undermine, undermine, undermine everything the government has done. Look at this
state: it has been six months and one week without a single case of COVID in Western
Australia. That is a credit to the fact we
put in place a border and proper public health initiatives in this state. I might
add that the federal government put in place an international border—probably
a bit late, but it put it in place—and we have supported that the whole
way through. I have said to the commonwealth, ''I support you on this.''
Why can the opposition not say to us that it supports us on something?
Mr P.A. Katsambanis interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Hillarys!
Mr M. McGOWAN : All the
opposition does is come in here and undermine and undermine and undermine, and
all it is seeking to do is damage the health of Western Australians.
member obviously did not listen this morning. I read out the advice provided by
the Chief Health Officer to the police commissioner that was sent yesterday,
which I received a copy of this morning and which is completely clear that the
border should remain in place at this point in time. He said we can consider
things in the future and, obviously, any government would consider things in
the future. I do not understand what the Liberal Party is trying to achieve
here. What is it trying to achieve? All it wants to do the whole way along is
undermine, undermine, undermine everything the government has done. Look at this
state: it has been six months and one week without a single case of COVID in Western
Australia. That is a credit to the fact we
put in place a border and proper public health initiatives in this state. I might
add that the federal government put in place an international border—probably
a bit late, but it put it in place—and we have supported that the whole
way through. I have said to the commonwealth, ''I support you on this.''
Why can the opposition not say to us that it supports us on something?
Mr P.A. Katsambanis interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Hillarys!
Mr M. McGOWAN : All the
opposition does is come in here and undermine and undermine and undermine, and
all it is seeking to do is damage the health of Western Australians.
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