❓ The Premier updates the house on the independent review of WA's COVID-19 response and highlights the flourishing tourism sector post-border closures, contrasting it with opposition criticisms.
AnsweredQoN 20Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS — GOVERNMENT RESPONSE — REVIEW
20. Dr J. KRISHNAN to the Premier:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's successful management of the
COVID-19 pandemic in Western Australia.
(1) Can the
Premier update the house on how the independent review into Western Australia's
COVID-19 response will prepare WA for future pandemics?
(2) Can the Premier advise the house how WA's
soft landing has paved the way for tourism events to flourish?
20. Dr J. KRISHNAN to the Premier:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's successful management of the
COVID-19 pandemic in Western Australia.
(1) Can the
Premier update the house on how the independent review into Western Australia's
COVID-19 response will prepare WA for future pandemics?
(2) Can the Premier advise the house how WA's
soft landing has paved the way for tourism events to flourish?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Riverton for
the question.
(1)–(2) Obviously,
it has been a long three years dealing with COVID, but the state has done
incredibly well and had some of the best public health and economic outcomes in
the world, probably the best outcomes of anywhere in the world, including
world-leading vaccination rates. But now that the state of emergency is well
over and now that we have the opportunity to reflect, a few weeks ago, we
appointed an independent review committee to look at our response to COVID so
that we can get the learnings from this experience over the last few years,
compile them and provide a blueprint, if you like, of what to do and what not
to do, potentially, in the future when another pandemic comes along, as
inevitably it will. Those three people include Hon John Day, former Minister
for Health in the last government and a dentist—we have to remember a dentist
is a well-respected medical professional—Emeritus Professor Margaret
Seares, AO, and Dr Michael Schaper, who is an economic expert. They will look
at all aspects and report back and we will learn the lessons for the future. I understand
that we are the only government in Australia at this point in time that has
undertaken these steps.
It
is now around 12 months since we lifted the border arrangements and as has been
commented on, and I read about it today, we have had an incredible last
week of events and activity in Western Australia. We had Sting, the Red Hot
Chili Peppers, Fringe World, the Perth Festival and the Ultimate Fighting
Championship, which is mixed martial arts. Of course, that was possible only
because we allowed for the Octagon so that those activities could be conducted
without participants falling out of the ring, which reversed the silly position
of the last government. That involved 9 000 people visiting from the eastern
states, who were ticketed. I am also advised thousands of people came just to
be part of the excitement. They came from
the east, stayed in hotels and I assume spent large amounts of money in hotels.
They came over to be part of it. Many thousands of tickets sold for that
event at RAC Arena. I am also advised it was the largest crowd ever at the
arena. Then of course not to forget the Australian Sprintcar Championship in
Kwinana—an important event for the large part of the community and an
Australia-wide event that attracts people from interstate to Western Australia.
Our tourism figures show that Perth
and Western Australia are thriving as destinations. We have had some of the
highest domestic spend in tourism in Western Australia on record. There has
been a major lift in spend compared with pre-COVID. The domestic spend and also
the interstate and international spend—particularly the interstate
spend—have leapt recently and are significantly higher than the period
pre-COVID, which is an important point because we had naysayers. We had people
who said our management of the pandemic would destroy the state's
reputation forever and tourists would not come back to Western Australia
because of what the Western Australian government did. For instance, on 29 January
2022, the now Leader of the Liberal Party said —
� WA's continued isolation
was causing ''broader reputational damage''.
So, saving thousands of lives was
causing broader reputational damage, according to the Leader of the Liberal Party.
But the evidence is now in, as I just outlined to members, that that was wildly
inaccurate and incorrect. A media statement by a gentleman by the name of Hon Neil
Thomson declared that the border closures we put in place meant tourism
operators ''face a bleak future''. As I said, the figures are better than they were pre-COVID, with amazing
events attracting people from around Australia and around the world.
Then we have the former member for North West Central. The Nationals WA cannot
be held responsible for him. We cannot be held responsible for him either! He
said —
Our tourism reputation has been shot,
our reputation over east has been shot and our international relations have
been tarnished because of the actions of this Premier, or because of his
inaction by not reopening the borders �
How wrong you all were.
the question.
(1)–(2) Obviously,
it has been a long three years dealing with COVID, but the state has done
incredibly well and had some of the best public health and economic outcomes in
the world, probably the best outcomes of anywhere in the world, including
world-leading vaccination rates. But now that the state of emergency is well
over and now that we have the opportunity to reflect, a few weeks ago, we
appointed an independent review committee to look at our response to COVID so
that we can get the learnings from this experience over the last few years,
compile them and provide a blueprint, if you like, of what to do and what not
to do, potentially, in the future when another pandemic comes along, as
inevitably it will. Those three people include Hon John Day, former Minister
for Health in the last government and a dentist—we have to remember a dentist
is a well-respected medical professional—Emeritus Professor Margaret
Seares, AO, and Dr Michael Schaper, who is an economic expert. They will look
at all aspects and report back and we will learn the lessons for the future. I understand
that we are the only government in Australia at this point in time that has
undertaken these steps.
It
is now around 12 months since we lifted the border arrangements and as has been
commented on, and I read about it today, we have had an incredible last
week of events and activity in Western Australia. We had Sting, the Red Hot
Chili Peppers, Fringe World, the Perth Festival and the Ultimate Fighting
Championship, which is mixed martial arts. Of course, that was possible only
because we allowed for the Octagon so that those activities could be conducted
without participants falling out of the ring, which reversed the silly position
of the last government. That involved 9 000 people visiting from the eastern
states, who were ticketed. I am also advised thousands of people came just to
be part of the excitement. They came from
the east, stayed in hotels and I assume spent large amounts of money in hotels.
They came over to be part of it. Many thousands of tickets sold for that
event at RAC Arena. I am also advised it was the largest crowd ever at the
arena. Then of course not to forget the Australian Sprintcar Championship in
Kwinana—an important event for the large part of the community and an
Australia-wide event that attracts people from interstate to Western Australia.
Our tourism figures show that Perth
and Western Australia are thriving as destinations. We have had some of the
highest domestic spend in tourism in Western Australia on record. There has
been a major lift in spend compared with pre-COVID. The domestic spend and also
the interstate and international spend—particularly the interstate
spend—have leapt recently and are significantly higher than the period
pre-COVID, which is an important point because we had naysayers. We had people
who said our management of the pandemic would destroy the state's
reputation forever and tourists would not come back to Western Australia
because of what the Western Australian government did. For instance, on 29 January
2022, the now Leader of the Liberal Party said —
� WA's continued isolation
was causing ''broader reputational damage''.
So, saving thousands of lives was
causing broader reputational damage, according to the Leader of the Liberal Party.
But the evidence is now in, as I just outlined to members, that that was wildly
inaccurate and incorrect. A media statement by a gentleman by the name of Hon Neil
Thomson declared that the border closures we put in place meant tourism
operators ''face a bleak future''. As I said, the figures are better than they were pre-COVID, with amazing
events attracting people from around Australia and around the world.
Then we have the former member for North West Central. The Nationals WA cannot
be held responsible for him. We cannot be held responsible for him either! He
said —
Our tourism reputation has been shot,
our reputation over east has been shot and our international relations have
been tarnished because of the actions of this Premier, or because of his
inaction by not reopening the borders �
How wrong you all were.
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