❓ Mr. Wyatt questions Premier Barnett regarding discrepancies in reported gonorrhoea statistics, particularly concerning Aboriginal children and the wider community, accusing the Premier of unfairly targeting Aboriginal people. The Premier defends his statements, citing higher rates of STIs in Aboriginal communities and the need to address uncomfortable facts.
AnsweredQoN 213Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES — PREMIER'S
COMMENTS
213. Mr B.S. WYATT to the Premier:
I refer to the Premier's
statement in the house last Thursday, and I quote —
In 2013, there were 39 cases of
gonorrhoea in Aboriginal children � We are seeing sexually transmitted diseases
in children aged from 10 to 14. How many cases of gonorrhoea are there in the
wider community? There are none—not a single case.
I also refer to the Department of
Health and to the Public Health and Clinical Services website, which notes that
in 2013 there were actually 73 cases of gonorrhoea in children aged from 10 to
14 years, and a total of 1 967 cases of gonorrhoea across Western Australia.
(1) Can the
Premier confirm that all of the 73 cases in the 10 to 14 age group and all the
1 967 across Western Australia were Aboriginal people, as he stated last week?
(2) If not, why
did the Premier attempt to slur Aboriginal people as the sole sufferers of the
disease of gonorrhoea, when clearly it appears to be more broadly in the
community?
(3) Of those 39
cases that the Premier referred to, how many people live in remote communities?
COMMENTS
213. Mr B.S. WYATT to the Premier:
I refer to the Premier's
statement in the house last Thursday, and I quote —
In 2013, there were 39 cases of
gonorrhoea in Aboriginal children � We are seeing sexually transmitted diseases
in children aged from 10 to 14. How many cases of gonorrhoea are there in the
wider community? There are none—not a single case.
I also refer to the Department of
Health and to the Public Health and Clinical Services website, which notes that
in 2013 there were actually 73 cases of gonorrhoea in children aged from 10 to
14 years, and a total of 1 967 cases of gonorrhoea across Western Australia.
(1) Can the
Premier confirm that all of the 73 cases in the 10 to 14 age group and all the
1 967 across Western Australia were Aboriginal people, as he stated last week?
(2) If not, why
did the Premier attempt to slur Aboriginal people as the sole sufferers of the
disease of gonorrhoea, when clearly it appears to be more broadly in the
community?
(3) Of those 39
cases that the Premier referred to, how many people live in remote communities?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) Last
week I did refer to some statistics on sexually transmitted diseases. I
referred to both chlamydia and gonorrhoea.
Mr B.S. Wyatt : You never mentioned
chlamydia.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Yes, I did. Those statistics related to the Kimberley. It is
the case, tragically, that the rate of sexually transmitted diseases amongst
Aboriginal people is way, way above the statistics for the wider community.
That is not —
Mrs
M.H. Roberts interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Midland, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : That is not to slur the Aboriginal community.
Mrs
M.H. Roberts interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Midland!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
When I spoke to the people at the demonstration outside, I made it very clear
that, as the Premier of Western Australia, I cannot and I will not —
Mr D.J. Kelly interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Bassendean, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I
cannot and I will not ignore issues within Aboriginal communities, and, indeed,
Aboriginals living in towns. That is not a slur. All of Australia has been
talking about trying to close the gap—there are poor rates of school
attendance and lower educational and health outcomes. Part of that relates to
sexually transmitted diseases. That is a fact, and one of the problems in this
country and in this state in dealing with the complex issues of Aboriginal
communities is the failure of successive politicians—politician after
politician—to acknowledge the facts. The facts are uncomfortable but,
unlike members opposite, I will not ignore them.
week I did refer to some statistics on sexually transmitted diseases. I
referred to both chlamydia and gonorrhoea.
Mr B.S. Wyatt : You never mentioned
chlamydia.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Yes, I did. Those statistics related to the Kimberley. It is
the case, tragically, that the rate of sexually transmitted diseases amongst
Aboriginal people is way, way above the statistics for the wider community.
That is not —
Mrs
M.H. Roberts interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Midland, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : That is not to slur the Aboriginal community.
Mrs
M.H. Roberts interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Midland!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
When I spoke to the people at the demonstration outside, I made it very clear
that, as the Premier of Western Australia, I cannot and I will not —
Mr D.J. Kelly interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Bassendean, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I
cannot and I will not ignore issues within Aboriginal communities, and, indeed,
Aboriginals living in towns. That is not a slur. All of Australia has been
talking about trying to close the gap—there are poor rates of school
attendance and lower educational and health outcomes. Part of that relates to
sexually transmitted diseases. That is a fact, and one of the problems in this
country and in this state in dealing with the complex issues of Aboriginal
communities is the failure of successive politicians—politician after
politician—to acknowledge the facts. The facts are uncomfortable but,
unlike members opposite, I will not ignore them.
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