❓ Opposition asks about foot-and-mouth disease preparedness and border protection. Premier deflects, criticises the opposition's past actions and highlights government investment in biosecurity, specifically shot-hole borer.
AnsweredQoN 489Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
BIOSECURITY RESPONSE
CENTRE
489. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question.
Does the Premier have any concept of the devastation that will be wreaked on Western
Australia's livestock industries if foot-and-mouth were to reach our
shores; and, in light of that, has he met with the Prime Minister to discuss
the urgent need to increase border protection for Western Australia?
The SPEAKER : Again, the
supplementary question was supposed to be direct and to the point, whereas the
Leader of the Opposition has made a statement
and then said, ''in light of that.'' In future, I will rule that
out of order.
CENTRE
489. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question.
Does the Premier have any concept of the devastation that will be wreaked on Western
Australia's livestock industries if foot-and-mouth were to reach our
shores; and, in light of that, has he met with the Prime Minister to discuss
the urgent need to increase border protection for Western Australia?
The SPEAKER : Again, the
supplementary question was supposed to be direct and to the point, whereas the
Leader of the Opposition has made a statement
and then said, ''in light of that.'' In future, I will rule that
out of order.
AnswerView source ↗
Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am very
happy to respond. It provides me with another opportunity to point out the
inadequacies of members opposite. Of course, biosecurity is a very important
thing. For instance, one of the issues at the moment is the impact of the
shot-hole borer in the metropolitan area. We can see the work that is being
done to remove infected trees so that we can cut off this infestation. That is
an example of how seriously we take this. It is a $40 million investment to
make sure that the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions has
the resources. I note that, over the winter break, the member for Vasse, the
Leader of the Liberal Party, was summoned to the real leaders of the Liberal
Party's headquarters at the City of Perth and they critiqued us for the
$40 million work that we are doing to protect biosecurity for the people of Western
Australia. Of course, actions speak louder than words. Even though they were
happy to talk about the shot-hole borer, what they were really saying was that
someone else is in charge of the Liberal Party. Not a day goes by when the
member for Vasse is not undermined by the Liberal candidate for Churchlands.
That was another great example of who is really running the show.
Madam
Speaker, I speak with the Prime Minister often. He is a great supporter of Western
Australia. No Prime Minister in
history has got Western Australia more than this Prime Minister—or
perhaps John Curtin. We know that Operation Sovereign Borders continues
to operate today—as it did under a coalition government— to protect Western Australia's security and
biosecurity. As a government, part of the problem of dealing with and meeting
these challenges is that the Liberal Party and National Party, between 2008 and
2017, stripped nearly 600 jobs out of the department of agriculture and food.
That is a third —
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please.
Mr R.H. COOK : I think the
Leader of the Opposition should be assured that it will take a lot longer than
two terms to fix the mess that the opposition left this state in.
happy to respond. It provides me with another opportunity to point out the
inadequacies of members opposite. Of course, biosecurity is a very important
thing. For instance, one of the issues at the moment is the impact of the
shot-hole borer in the metropolitan area. We can see the work that is being
done to remove infected trees so that we can cut off this infestation. That is
an example of how seriously we take this. It is a $40 million investment to
make sure that the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions has
the resources. I note that, over the winter break, the member for Vasse, the
Leader of the Liberal Party, was summoned to the real leaders of the Liberal
Party's headquarters at the City of Perth and they critiqued us for the
$40 million work that we are doing to protect biosecurity for the people of Western
Australia. Of course, actions speak louder than words. Even though they were
happy to talk about the shot-hole borer, what they were really saying was that
someone else is in charge of the Liberal Party. Not a day goes by when the
member for Vasse is not undermined by the Liberal candidate for Churchlands.
That was another great example of who is really running the show.
Madam
Speaker, I speak with the Prime Minister often. He is a great supporter of Western
Australia. No Prime Minister in
history has got Western Australia more than this Prime Minister—or
perhaps John Curtin. We know that Operation Sovereign Borders continues
to operate today—as it did under a coalition government— to protect Western Australia's security and
biosecurity. As a government, part of the problem of dealing with and meeting
these challenges is that the Liberal Party and National Party, between 2008 and
2017, stripped nearly 600 jobs out of the department of agriculture and food.
That is a third —
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please.
Mr R.H. COOK : I think the
Leader of the Opposition should be assured that it will take a lot longer than
two terms to fix the mess that the opposition left this state in.
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