❓ Ms. Davies questions the Premier on the specific date for the return of international students. The Premier defends the WA safe transition plan, citing health advice and vaccination rates as key factors in determining the reopening date, criticising the opposition for negativity.
AnsweredQoN 746Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS — INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
746. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. The
Premier clearly has a date, so why does he not just share it with the rest of Western
Australia so that we can all be on the same page and plan for 2022?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please,
members!
746. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. The
Premier clearly has a date, so why does he not just share it with the rest of Western
Australia so that we can all be on the same page and plan for 2022?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please,
members!
AnswerView source ↗
Honestly, the opposition just looks
for things to whinge about; that is all it does. It sits there every day and
surveys what is out there and what it can complain about rather than doing any
serious policy work. In any event, I will take the Leader of the Opposition
over it again.
Last week, I announced the
WA safe transition plan based upon health advice. The safe transition plan says
that it will be safest when we get to a 90 per cent double-dose
vaccination rate. The reason it is safer at 90 per cent double -dose vaccination is that 200 Western Australian
lives will be saved as opposed to at an 80 per cent double-dose vaccination rate. What am I to do—ignore that? But we do not know
exactly when we will get to a 90 per cent double-dose vaccination rate until we
get closer to the day. So, based upon health advice as well, we said that when we get to 80 per cent double-dose vaccination, we
will be able to get a line of sight on when 90 per cent will be. The Commissioner of Police and the Department of Health are working on that as we
speak. But we expect to get to an 80 per
cent double-dose vaccination rate in the first half of December and we will be
able to set that date. That is still the best part of two months away
from the deadline. I think that that makes total sense.
As I told members before, small
business people in South Australia are out protesting because they are going to
have all sorts of mask wearing and restrictions—people cannot stand up
and have a drink and only certain numbers of people can be in restaurants—over
the busiest time of the year. That was one of our alternatives. We could have
done that, but then the opposition would have been in here whingeing about
that. If we had done that, the opposition would have been in here complaining.
What we are doing will save Western Australian lives. It will ensure that there
are no restrictions over the Christmas period and holidays, it will continue to
ensure that we have the greatest economic outcomes in Australia and probably
the world, and it is the safest and most cautious approach and will allow us to
open up safely when we get to that high level of vaccination.
for things to whinge about; that is all it does. It sits there every day and
surveys what is out there and what it can complain about rather than doing any
serious policy work. In any event, I will take the Leader of the Opposition
over it again.
Last week, I announced the
WA safe transition plan based upon health advice. The safe transition plan says
that it will be safest when we get to a 90 per cent double-dose
vaccination rate. The reason it is safer at 90 per cent double -dose vaccination is that 200 Western Australian
lives will be saved as opposed to at an 80 per cent double-dose vaccination rate. What am I to do—ignore that? But we do not know
exactly when we will get to a 90 per cent double-dose vaccination rate until we
get closer to the day. So, based upon health advice as well, we said that when we get to 80 per cent double-dose vaccination, we
will be able to get a line of sight on when 90 per cent will be. The Commissioner of Police and the Department of Health are working on that as we
speak. But we expect to get to an 80 per
cent double-dose vaccination rate in the first half of December and we will be
able to set that date. That is still the best part of two months away
from the deadline. I think that that makes total sense.
As I told members before, small
business people in South Australia are out protesting because they are going to
have all sorts of mask wearing and restrictions—people cannot stand up
and have a drink and only certain numbers of people can be in restaurants—over
the busiest time of the year. That was one of our alternatives. We could have
done that, but then the opposition would have been in here whingeing about
that. If we had done that, the opposition would have been in here complaining.
What we are doing will save Western Australian lives. It will ensure that there
are no restrictions over the Christmas period and holidays, it will continue to
ensure that we have the greatest economic outcomes in Australia and probably
the world, and it is the safest and most cautious approach and will allow us to
open up safely when we get to that high level of vaccination.
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