❓ Ms. Davies questions the Premier about the short timeframe given to the opposition to consider the Emergency Management Amendment Bill. The Premier defends the timeline, citing prior opposition requests for the legislation and the urgency to move out of the state of emergency.
AnsweredQoN 545Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AMENDMENT (TEMPORARY COVID-19
PROVISIONS) BILL 2022
545. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Premier:
I refer to the Premier's
intention to introduce the Emergency Management Amendment (Temporary COVID-19 Provisions) Bill 2022 as an urgent bill. Why has
the Premier given the opposition just one day to consider this legislation?
PROVISIONS) BILL 2022
545. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Premier:
I refer to the Premier's
intention to introduce the Emergency Management Amendment (Temporary COVID-19 Provisions) Bill 2022 as an urgent bill. Why has
the Premier given the opposition just one day to consider this legislation?
AnswerView source ↗
The opposition called for this. It
requested it time and again. I can run through all the opposition's
comments if it likes, but it called for this legislation time and again and
said that it was urgent. Drafting this has not been easy. It was passed by
cabinet yesterday, we have limited sitting weeks left and we want to get out of
the state of emergency as soon as we can. In
order to do that, we need to pass these laws through Parliament. One day the
opposition demands it, and the next day it says it does not want it. The
opposition will have the opportunity to be briefed in the same way the caucus is being briefed, and the
opposition will have the opportunity to debate it in Parliament. We are trying to ensure that we have a step down in the
measures available for us to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. Obviously ,
it is a different circumstance now from what it was six or so months ago, or a year
ago, in particular, or beyond. We are trying to put a new regime in place as
other states have done.
The state of emergency that has been
in place allows for a whole range of measures to be continued or reinstated, if
you like. They are not necessary at this point in time. We are keen to remove
ourselves from that, keen to remove the nomenclature, and keen to ensure that
some of the measures available to us are not available under these new laws. It
is a step down and a modest approach to this law.
It is not all about the opposition;
it is about the people of Western Australia. They are the people we are trying
to serve. I remind members opposite —
Several members interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : No matter what
we do, they will criticise.
With
the death of the Queen and other things, Parliament has only a certain number
of weeks to debate the legislation . Let us imagine we delay it and we
cannot bring it in for the next month or so. Members opposite will then say, ''Why
haven't you brought in the laws?'' It does not matter what we
do, they will criticise. I understand that that is the nature of politics. They
are not particularly dexterous in their criticism, it would be fair to say, and
the fact that they argue both sides of the same argument on consecutive days is
obvious to everyone. Being in opposition does require a little bit of finesse—I
have had some experience there—and dexterity, which members opposite
lack. We want to move out of this regime. It is pretty obvious that this is a step
down from the existing regime that is in place and the government intends to
move in that direction.
requested it time and again. I can run through all the opposition's
comments if it likes, but it called for this legislation time and again and
said that it was urgent. Drafting this has not been easy. It was passed by
cabinet yesterday, we have limited sitting weeks left and we want to get out of
the state of emergency as soon as we can. In
order to do that, we need to pass these laws through Parliament. One day the
opposition demands it, and the next day it says it does not want it. The
opposition will have the opportunity to be briefed in the same way the caucus is being briefed, and the
opposition will have the opportunity to debate it in Parliament. We are trying to ensure that we have a step down in the
measures available for us to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. Obviously ,
it is a different circumstance now from what it was six or so months ago, or a year
ago, in particular, or beyond. We are trying to put a new regime in place as
other states have done.
The state of emergency that has been
in place allows for a whole range of measures to be continued or reinstated, if
you like. They are not necessary at this point in time. We are keen to remove
ourselves from that, keen to remove the nomenclature, and keen to ensure that
some of the measures available to us are not available under these new laws. It
is a step down and a modest approach to this law.
It is not all about the opposition;
it is about the people of Western Australia. They are the people we are trying
to serve. I remind members opposite —
Several members interjected.
Mr M. McGOWAN : No matter what
we do, they will criticise.
With
the death of the Queen and other things, Parliament has only a certain number
of weeks to debate the legislation . Let us imagine we delay it and we
cannot bring it in for the next month or so. Members opposite will then say, ''Why
haven't you brought in the laws?'' It does not matter what we
do, they will criticise. I understand that that is the nature of politics. They
are not particularly dexterous in their criticism, it would be fair to say, and
the fact that they argue both sides of the same argument on consecutive days is
obvious to everyone. Being in opposition does require a little bit of finesse—I
have had some experience there—and dexterity, which members opposite
lack. We want to move out of this regime. It is pretty obvious that this is a step
down from the existing regime that is in place and the government intends to
move in that direction.
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