❓ The Premier responds to a question regarding a timeline for reopening WA's borders, citing health advice and the desire to avoid pre-Christmas COVID restrictions. He defends the government's cautious approach, highlighting the potential negative consequences of premature border openings.
AnsweredQoN 628Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS — MANDATORY VACCINATION POLICY
628. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. The
question was actually: when can we expect to see a road map that outlines a time
line for safely reopening our borders now that the government has brought in
mandatory vaccination for a large percentage of our population with dates
attached to that?
628. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. The
question was actually: when can we expect to see a road map that outlines a time
line for safely reopening our borders now that the government has brought in
mandatory vaccination for a large percentage of our population with dates
attached to that?
AnswerView source ↗
Most of our borders are open. I will
explain it to the opposition again. We are open to South Australia, the Northern Territory and, from Friday, Queensland
and Tasmania. We are open. People can go there. You can go there , if you
like. If you want to go to South Australia, go to South Australia, just get the
G2G PASS. We are not open to Victoria and
New South Wales because they are rife with COVID. We will set a date when it is
appropriate to do so. What I do not want is to set a date that is wrong.
We will set a date when it is right, which is based upon health advice and
allows us to stay as safe as we can for as long as we can while we get our
citizens vaccinated.
As I said to the Leader of the
Opposition yesterday—this is very repetitive with the complaining she
was doing yesterday—Queensland is opening to New South Wales and the
like. If we did that and had COVID come in before Christmas, we could very well
have restrictions on restaurants, cafes, bars, holidays, travel, mask wearing,
all that sort of thing, over the entire
Christmas holidays. I do not want to do that. I know some people are advocating
for t hat. I do not want to do that.
Imagine if that happens. Then the opposition would say, ''Why did you
allow the border to come down?'' That is what it would do and that is
what the press would do. A lot of journalists who are demanding we do it would suddenly say, ''Why did you
do that?'' Governments have to be responsible. We have to make decisions based upon medical advice. We have to do the
right thing by the people of the state, and that is what we are doing.
explain it to the opposition again. We are open to South Australia, the Northern Territory and, from Friday, Queensland
and Tasmania. We are open. People can go there. You can go there , if you
like. If you want to go to South Australia, go to South Australia, just get the
G2G PASS. We are not open to Victoria and
New South Wales because they are rife with COVID. We will set a date when it is
appropriate to do so. What I do not want is to set a date that is wrong.
We will set a date when it is right, which is based upon health advice and
allows us to stay as safe as we can for as long as we can while we get our
citizens vaccinated.
As I said to the Leader of the
Opposition yesterday—this is very repetitive with the complaining she
was doing yesterday—Queensland is opening to New South Wales and the
like. If we did that and had COVID come in before Christmas, we could very well
have restrictions on restaurants, cafes, bars, holidays, travel, mask wearing,
all that sort of thing, over the entire
Christmas holidays. I do not want to do that. I know some people are advocating
for t hat. I do not want to do that.
Imagine if that happens. Then the opposition would say, ''Why did you
allow the border to come down?'' That is what it would do and that is
what the press would do. A lot of journalists who are demanding we do it would suddenly say, ''Why did you
do that?'' Governments have to be responsible. We have to make decisions based upon medical advice. We have to do the
right thing by the people of the state, and that is what we are doing.
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