❓ Mr. Rundle asks if the government will support the Auditor General's report recommendations. Premier McGowan avoids a direct answer, defends the government's COVID-19 response, and attacks the opposition.
AnsweredQoN 295Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
AUDITOR GENERAL — HON SUE ELLERY'S
COMMENTS
295. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Premier:
I
have a supplementary question. Will the government support the recommendations
in the Auditor General's report?
COMMENTS
295. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Premier:
I
have a supplementary question. Will the government support the recommendations
in the Auditor General's report?
AnswerView source ↗
I am not sure which ones the member
is referring to, but I can assure the member that the government is very proud
of the fact that we managed COVID so well. We had to go through a lot for three
years and one of the things that was a constant was the Liberals and Nationals
WA attacking us. The Liberals and Nationals cannot judge an issue because of their hatred of the government and
their hatred of me. Rather than actually judging an issue on its merits , they adopt a position on an issue that is
totally outrageous and ridiculous because it is the opposite of what my position is. That is why Liza Harvey was in here backing Clive Palmer and attacking us
over trying to keep COVID out—she hated the government. That is why
that occurred. We saw what happened to Liza Harvey. As I said to members
opposite, they have to judge issues on their merits. We acquired rapid antigen
tests. The whole world needed RATs and was trying to get them. The eastern
states were in turmoil because they did not have enough RATs. Cars were lined
up at PCR clinics for eight hours, with people off work for days and days
awaiting a test result. What did we do? We
kept COVID out. We made sure that we acquired enough RATs. We have now
distributed about 80 per cent of the
RATs we acquired and we have given them to people for free. We kept the economy
open and we saved people millions of dollars. The commonwealth paid for
half of the RATs, which is always forgotten in these discussions. We kept the
economy open and life as normal, yet members opposite disagree with that and
attack that.
Mr P.J. Rundle : What about
the Auditor General's report?
Mr M. McGOWAN : I disagree
with what the Auditor General had to say. We actually had to deal with the real
crisis. It is all great in hindsight to look in the mirror and say, ''We
might've done this differently or that differently'' but we had to deal with a crisis. Of course, had
the Liberals and Nationals had their way, we would have had COVID in
here, the economy shut down and thousands of people would have died. That is
what would have happened because they were on Clive Palmer's side. We
all remember it; Clive Palmer's lackeys over there! He is a life member
of the National Party, just so members know. He is a life member of the
National Party, old Clive—their man
in Queensland! He used to run the party for corrupt Joh Bjelke-Petersen. Do
members opposite know that? They probably do not know that because they
have memories like goldfish.
I answered the question in relation
to the minister, but I want to say this: we did what was required in the
circumstances we faced. We supported the people of Western Australia when they
needed it. We avoided the crisis confronting the other states and Western Australia
had the best outcome in the world.
is referring to, but I can assure the member that the government is very proud
of the fact that we managed COVID so well. We had to go through a lot for three
years and one of the things that was a constant was the Liberals and Nationals
WA attacking us. The Liberals and Nationals cannot judge an issue because of their hatred of the government and
their hatred of me. Rather than actually judging an issue on its merits , they adopt a position on an issue that is
totally outrageous and ridiculous because it is the opposite of what my position is. That is why Liza Harvey was in here backing Clive Palmer and attacking us
over trying to keep COVID out—she hated the government. That is why
that occurred. We saw what happened to Liza Harvey. As I said to members
opposite, they have to judge issues on their merits. We acquired rapid antigen
tests. The whole world needed RATs and was trying to get them. The eastern
states were in turmoil because they did not have enough RATs. Cars were lined
up at PCR clinics for eight hours, with people off work for days and days
awaiting a test result. What did we do? We
kept COVID out. We made sure that we acquired enough RATs. We have now
distributed about 80 per cent of the
RATs we acquired and we have given them to people for free. We kept the economy
open and we saved people millions of dollars. The commonwealth paid for
half of the RATs, which is always forgotten in these discussions. We kept the
economy open and life as normal, yet members opposite disagree with that and
attack that.
Mr P.J. Rundle : What about
the Auditor General's report?
Mr M. McGOWAN : I disagree
with what the Auditor General had to say. We actually had to deal with the real
crisis. It is all great in hindsight to look in the mirror and say, ''We
might've done this differently or that differently'' but we had to deal with a crisis. Of course, had
the Liberals and Nationals had their way, we would have had COVID in
here, the economy shut down and thousands of people would have died. That is
what would have happened because they were on Clive Palmer's side. We
all remember it; Clive Palmer's lackeys over there! He is a life member
of the National Party, just so members know. He is a life member of the
National Party, old Clive—their man
in Queensland! He used to run the party for corrupt Joh Bjelke-Petersen. Do
members opposite know that? They probably do not know that because they
have memories like goldfish.
I answered the question in relation
to the minister, but I want to say this: we did what was required in the
circumstances we faced. We supported the people of Western Australia when they
needed it. We avoided the crisis confronting the other states and Western Australia
had the best outcome in the world.
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