A WA parliamentary question probes the Minister for Health regarding a spike in WA deaths in 2022 compared to 2020 and whether COVID-19 policy contributed. The Minister denies a contribution, highlighting WA's success in managing the pandemic.

AnsweredQoN 877Legislative Council
Asked
16 August 2023
Portfolio
Health

QuestionView source ↗

MORTALITY RATE
877. Hon JAMES HAYWARD to the Leader of the House
representing the Minister for Health:
I refer to the answer provided to
the number of deaths in Western Australia.
(1) Is the minister now able to advise why there was a
significant spike in the number of deaths in WA in 2022 compared with
2020?
(2) Has a nationally consistent
reporting approach been agreed to explain these excess deaths?
(3) If no to (2), why not?
(4) Can the
minister rule out that the government's COVID policy contributed to the
increase in the number of deaths?

AnswerView source ↗

Astonishing—absolutely
astonishing.
(1) No.
(2) Yes.
(3) Not applicable.
(4) WA's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic
delivered some of the best economic, health and social outcomes of any
jurisdiction—any jurisdiction, in case the member missed that. WA was
nearly COVID-zero during the first two years of the pandemic and our COVID-19
fatality rate was the lowest of all the states and territories.
Follow the science, honourable member—the
science.

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