❓ A parliamentary question regarding exemptions to interstate travel restrictions into WA during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically concerning business exemptions from Victoria and the Minister's response citing domestic flight crew exemptions and police workload.
AnsweredQoN 559Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS —
INTERSTATE TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS — EXEMPTIONS
559. Mr P.A. KATSAMBANIS to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the 6 661 exemptions, or
more than 50 exemptions a day, of people entering Western Australia without
quarantine. Why has the minister refused to answer questions in the Legislative
Council on how many business exemptions have been provided, allowing people to
enter Western Australia from Victoria without quarantine?
INTERSTATE TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS — EXEMPTIONS
559. Mr P.A. KATSAMBANIS to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the 6 661 exemptions, or
more than 50 exemptions a day, of people entering Western Australia without
quarantine. Why has the minister refused to answer questions in the Legislative
Council on how many business exemptions have been provided, allowing people to
enter Western Australia from Victoria without quarantine?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question.
I endeavour to provide what information I can through the process in the
Legislative Council. The member referred to some 6 000 exemptions. I expect the
number is probably closer to 7 000 by now. That refers to a long period of
time. It certainly refers to a period of time prior to July when further
restrictions were put in place. I am advised that the vast majority of those
exemptions are for domestic flight crew. I know that the member is trying to
beat this up and pretend that 6 000 or 7 000 people are out there who did not
quarantine or whatever. Most of them are domestic flight crew and most entered
WA when they were not required to quarantine. From a date in July, tougher
requirements have been put in place. Many of those exemptions are for the same
person, so there are repeat entries, for example, by flight crew. These are
only flight crew who reside in Western Australia.
I
provide the information that is available to me. Over 400 police are dealing
with COVID-19. We are running a very precautionary regime. Those police
are flat out doing the job that is required of them and they are doing an
excellent job. Our police force has stepped
up amazingly. I am not going to tell them that they have to take themselves off
that duty to answer upper house questions and do some analysis for the
exact time period and the exact classification that the member is requesting. All information comes out in the fullness
of time. I provide what information is r eadily available. The police can
give me ready access to that information. I think the member should have some
faith that our police are doing an excellent job.
I endeavour to provide what information I can through the process in the
Legislative Council. The member referred to some 6 000 exemptions. I expect the
number is probably closer to 7 000 by now. That refers to a long period of
time. It certainly refers to a period of time prior to July when further
restrictions were put in place. I am advised that the vast majority of those
exemptions are for domestic flight crew. I know that the member is trying to
beat this up and pretend that 6 000 or 7 000 people are out there who did not
quarantine or whatever. Most of them are domestic flight crew and most entered
WA when they were not required to quarantine. From a date in July, tougher
requirements have been put in place. Many of those exemptions are for the same
person, so there are repeat entries, for example, by flight crew. These are
only flight crew who reside in Western Australia.
I
provide the information that is available to me. Over 400 police are dealing
with COVID-19. We are running a very precautionary regime. Those police
are flat out doing the job that is required of them and they are doing an
excellent job. Our police force has stepped
up amazingly. I am not going to tell them that they have to take themselves off
that duty to answer upper house questions and do some analysis for the
exact time period and the exact classification that the member is requesting. All information comes out in the fullness
of time. I provide what information is r eadily available. The police can
give me ready access to that information. I think the member should have some
faith that our police are doing an excellent job.
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