❓ The Premier responds to a question about transitioning WA from a state of emergency, defending the government's COVID-19 response and criticising the opposition's stance.
AnsweredQoN 236Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS — STATE OF EMERGENCY
236. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question.
When will the Premier share his plan to transition WA from a state of emergency
to living with COVID as an endemic disease, as many Western Australians are
waiting to understand the details of that plan?
236. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question.
When will the Premier share his plan to transition WA from a state of emergency
to living with COVID as an endemic disease, as many Western Australians are
waiting to understand the details of that plan?
AnswerView source ↗
That is a better question. I do not
think the Leader of the Opposition understands what the rules are and how they
work. The state of emergency declaration is renewed every two weeks under
existing laws. They are not new laws. The laws themselves relate to a range of
things, in particular around giving police protection from people who threaten them with COVID or spit on them, or
things of that nature. If the Leader of the Opposition does not support that, she needs to be honest and accountable as to whether she supports that.
We support our police officers, who have done an absolutely extraordinary job
over the course of the last two years in terms of making sure Western Australia has the best outcomes of
anywhere in the entire world in dealing with the pandemic. That is what the legislation is. If members opposite do not support that, be that on their
heads.
In
terms of the renewal of the state of emergency, that is done each and every
fortnight by the Minister for Emergency Services. It was originally Fran
Logan, then Minister Whitby and now Minister Dawson. That is done on the
recommendation of the State Emergency Coordinator, who is currently the Police
Commissioner, Chris Dawson. That is what is done each and every fortnight in
order to ensure that we have certain powers. Those powers have allowed us to do
things such as mask wearing, as the Leader of the Opposition is currently
doing. It has allowed us to put in place mandates around vaccination. It has
allowed us to put in place some of the border controls that we have used to
ensure we kept the virus out of Western Australia, and things of that nature.
It has allowed us to do those things. We
currently have around 8 000 new cases in Western Australia today. We have 230
or thereabouts people in hospital and eight or nine people in intensive
care. We are expecting the hospitalisation rates to grow over coming weeks. We
are hopeful that we have reached our peak and that numbers will come down in
overall terms and we will start to trend out of this.
What is occurring in the eastern states, however, are spikes.
Their hospitalisation numbers are going up as we speak, because that is the
nature of COVID. One thing the opposition has not learnt over the course of the
last two years is that it is very unpredictable, and governments have had to
act. Governments that have acted proactively and used the levers and tools of
government have achieved the best outcomes of anywhere in the world. That is
what we did. We did things that were, in ordinary circumstances, very
controversial, but the actions we took have meant we have the lowest death
rates, the lowest hospitalisation rates and the best economic outcomes of
anywhere in the world, yet the Leader of the Opposition complains. In a planet
of seven billion people, Western Australia of 2 .7 million has achieved the best outcomes, yet the opposition comes in day
in and day out and complains about it. The government will continue to do its
best to ensure that we follow the health advice and do things that achieve
great economic and health outcomes. The opposition has so many messages. I note
the police spokesperson, Mr Collier, said in late February —
As long as these restrictions come on
the recommendation of the Chief Health Officer, the Opposition will support
them.
That
is what he said. Now, the Leader of the Opposition comes in saying something
different, as indeed does the Leader of the Liberal Party. He is always
out there criticising and opposing the health recommendations we receive that
have resulted in the best health and economic outcomes of anywhere in the
world. It is a very unusual phenomenon. As I keep telling them, it is the worst
opposition in Western Australian history. It is the worst opposition, I think, in Australian history. It
needs to look at the opposition leader in South Australia and what he did . He was constructive, positive and supportive
of the government doing difficult things, and look at what has happened to
him. Unfortunately, it is not in your DNA to do it, because you have no idea
what you are doing.
think the Leader of the Opposition understands what the rules are and how they
work. The state of emergency declaration is renewed every two weeks under
existing laws. They are not new laws. The laws themselves relate to a range of
things, in particular around giving police protection from people who threaten them with COVID or spit on them, or
things of that nature. If the Leader of the Opposition does not support that, she needs to be honest and accountable as to whether she supports that.
We support our police officers, who have done an absolutely extraordinary job
over the course of the last two years in terms of making sure Western Australia has the best outcomes of
anywhere in the entire world in dealing with the pandemic. That is what the legislation is. If members opposite do not support that, be that on their
heads.
In
terms of the renewal of the state of emergency, that is done each and every
fortnight by the Minister for Emergency Services. It was originally Fran
Logan, then Minister Whitby and now Minister Dawson. That is done on the
recommendation of the State Emergency Coordinator, who is currently the Police
Commissioner, Chris Dawson. That is what is done each and every fortnight in
order to ensure that we have certain powers. Those powers have allowed us to do
things such as mask wearing, as the Leader of the Opposition is currently
doing. It has allowed us to put in place mandates around vaccination. It has
allowed us to put in place some of the border controls that we have used to
ensure we kept the virus out of Western Australia, and things of that nature.
It has allowed us to do those things. We
currently have around 8 000 new cases in Western Australia today. We have 230
or thereabouts people in hospital and eight or nine people in intensive
care. We are expecting the hospitalisation rates to grow over coming weeks. We
are hopeful that we have reached our peak and that numbers will come down in
overall terms and we will start to trend out of this.
What is occurring in the eastern states, however, are spikes.
Their hospitalisation numbers are going up as we speak, because that is the
nature of COVID. One thing the opposition has not learnt over the course of the
last two years is that it is very unpredictable, and governments have had to
act. Governments that have acted proactively and used the levers and tools of
government have achieved the best outcomes of anywhere in the world. That is
what we did. We did things that were, in ordinary circumstances, very
controversial, but the actions we took have meant we have the lowest death
rates, the lowest hospitalisation rates and the best economic outcomes of
anywhere in the world, yet the Leader of the Opposition complains. In a planet
of seven billion people, Western Australia of 2 .7 million has achieved the best outcomes, yet the opposition comes in day
in and day out and complains about it. The government will continue to do its
best to ensure that we follow the health advice and do things that achieve
great economic and health outcomes. The opposition has so many messages. I note
the police spokesperson, Mr Collier, said in late February —
As long as these restrictions come on
the recommendation of the Chief Health Officer, the Opposition will support
them.
That
is what he said. Now, the Leader of the Opposition comes in saying something
different, as indeed does the Leader of the Liberal Party. He is always
out there criticising and opposing the health recommendations we receive that
have resulted in the best health and economic outcomes of anywhere in the
world. It is a very unusual phenomenon. As I keep telling them, it is the worst
opposition in Western Australian history. It is the worst opposition, I think, in Australian history. It
needs to look at the opposition leader in South Australia and what he did . He was constructive, positive and supportive
of the government doing difficult things, and look at what has happened to
him. Unfortunately, it is not in your DNA to do it, because you have no idea
what you are doing.
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