❓ Ms. Davies questions the Premier's refusal to release COVID-19 health modelling. The Premier defends the decision, citing potential negative consequences of early opening and promising future release of information.
AnsweredQoN 631Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS — HEALTH MODELLING
631. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question.
Thank you, Premier; I have read the health advice relating to the announcement
you made today.
Mr D.J. Kelly : Is that a question?
Ms M.J. DAVIES : I do not
need your help, Minister for Water—I absolutely do not.
The SPEAKER : Minister for
Water, you do not have the call. Please do not interrupt.
Ms M.J. DAVIES : The
question was: why is the Premier refusing to release health modelling that has
been provided to the government in relation to the impact of COVID
coming into the state?
631. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question.
Thank you, Premier; I have read the health advice relating to the announcement
you made today.
Mr D.J. Kelly : Is that a question?
Ms M.J. DAVIES : I do not
need your help, Minister for Water—I absolutely do not.
The SPEAKER : Minister for
Water, you do not have the call. Please do not interrupt.
Ms M.J. DAVIES : The
question was: why is the Premier refusing to release health modelling that has
been provided to the government in relation to the impact of COVID
coming into the state?
AnswerView source ↗
There is always ongoing work
because the situation changes over time. I note that a range of advice from the
commonwealth, through the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity,
has been provided and released regularly. But it is modelling; it is an
estimate. When the Doherty advice has come out, it has shown that if states open too early, large numbers of people will die
and the hospitals could potentially be overrun in all states of Australia ,
as they have been in New South Wales and Victoria, and there would be terrible
economic outcomes as well, which is the Treasury advice on these things. We
will table all this—the information upon which we rely—in due
course when we set a date for New South Wales and Victoria.
I understand it is difficult for
some people. As I said, it is difficult for me. But I actually think that 95 per
cent of Western Australians would prefer not to have COVID deliberately
imported into Western Australia prior to having a very high level of vaccination. That is my view of where the public is
at. Clearly, the Liberals and Nationals have a different view by the
tone of the member's question, as they have had over the course of the
last two years. If the Liberals and Nationals had had their way, we would have
had the New South Wales situation. Have a look at it. I just say to the people
of Western Australia: thank God we did not go there.
because the situation changes over time. I note that a range of advice from the
commonwealth, through the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity,
has been provided and released regularly. But it is modelling; it is an
estimate. When the Doherty advice has come out, it has shown that if states open too early, large numbers of people will die
and the hospitals could potentially be overrun in all states of Australia ,
as they have been in New South Wales and Victoria, and there would be terrible
economic outcomes as well, which is the Treasury advice on these things. We
will table all this—the information upon which we rely—in due
course when we set a date for New South Wales and Victoria.
I understand it is difficult for
some people. As I said, it is difficult for me. But I actually think that 95 per
cent of Western Australians would prefer not to have COVID deliberately
imported into Western Australia prior to having a very high level of vaccination. That is my view of where the public is
at. Clearly, the Liberals and Nationals have a different view by the
tone of the member's question, as they have had over the course of the
last two years. If the Liberals and Nationals had had their way, we would have
had the New South Wales situation. Have a look at it. I just say to the people
of Western Australia: thank God we did not go there.
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