❓ Opposition leader Kirkup questions Premier McGowan about conflicting statements regarding interstate border restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. McGowan defends the government's position, citing the Chief Health Officer's advice and criticising the opposition's lack of a clear policy.
AnsweredQoN 815Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS — INTERSTATE BORDER
RESTRICTIONS
815. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP to the Premier:
I refer to the comments
made by the Minister for Health at a Business News breakfast this
morning, when he said —
There is public health advice that
says the situation in Queensland, Northern Territory and South Australia is now
essentially stable, they have got no community spread of the disease, so we
should consider how we open ourselves to freeing up the movement of people
between those states.
Given the Premier's
statements to the Parliament earlier today, whom are the people of Western Australia
to believe on the government's interstate border position—the
Premier or the Minister for Health?
RESTRICTIONS
815. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP to the Premier:
I refer to the comments
made by the Minister for Health at a Business News breakfast this
morning, when he said —
There is public health advice that
says the situation in Queensland, Northern Territory and South Australia is now
essentially stable, they have got no community spread of the disease, so we
should consider how we open ourselves to freeing up the movement of people
between those states.
Given the Premier's
statements to the Parliament earlier today, whom are the people of Western Australia
to believe on the government's interstate border position—the
Premier or the Minister for Health?
AnswerView source ↗
Obviously, in conjunction
with the Chief Health Officer, we continue to monitor the situation. We tabled
the Chief Health Officer's advice today. We have tabled his
advice before. It seemed to pass the state opposition by, but we tabled it before. We tabled his further
advice of yesterday in the house earlier today. Obviously, in the future we will consider what is the appropriate
course forward for Western Australia. That is not an unreasonable position .
Can I ask: what is the opposition's position?
Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup : We want the truth.
Mr M. McGOWAN : It does not have a position! Like on
many issues, the opposition does not have a position. It does not have policies
and it does not have a position on the greatest crisis the world has faced
since the Second World War. It does not have a position. It does not have a policy.
The opposition's only policy is to tear down what the government has done. That is its only policy. That is what the
opposition has said the whole way along. The opposition does not
actually take in the detail. We reveal the detail to the opposition every day
but its members do not listen, do not read and take no notice. All the
opposition has done the whole way along is to criticise and carp. All it has
done has been to join with Clive Palmer when he tried to tear down the border.
That is what happened. We are very clear on our position. We tabled the advice
from the Chief Health Officer today, which is unchanged—that is, that
at this point in time, the border should remain in place.
with the Chief Health Officer, we continue to monitor the situation. We tabled
the Chief Health Officer's advice today. We have tabled his
advice before. It seemed to pass the state opposition by, but we tabled it before. We tabled his further
advice of yesterday in the house earlier today. Obviously, in the future we will consider what is the appropriate
course forward for Western Australia. That is not an unreasonable position .
Can I ask: what is the opposition's position?
Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup : We want the truth.
Mr M. McGOWAN : It does not have a position! Like on
many issues, the opposition does not have a position. It does not have policies
and it does not have a position on the greatest crisis the world has faced
since the Second World War. It does not have a position. It does not have a policy.
The opposition's only policy is to tear down what the government has done. That is its only policy. That is what the
opposition has said the whole way along. The opposition does not
actually take in the detail. We reveal the detail to the opposition every day
but its members do not listen, do not read and take no notice. All the
opposition has done the whole way along is to criticise and carp. All it has
done has been to join with Clive Palmer when he tried to tear down the border.
That is what happened. We are very clear on our position. We tabled the advice
from the Chief Health Officer today, which is unchanged—that is, that
at this point in time, the border should remain in place.
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