❓ Mr. Love questions the Premier on arrangements for returning WA residents from NSW, particularly unvaccinated individuals. The Premier defends supporting NSW's vaccine rollout and states police will consider exemptions.
AnsweredQoN 416Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS —
INTERSTATE BORDER RESTRICTIONS
416. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Premier:
I refer to changes to Western Australia's
hard border with New South Wales which came in overnight and which will allow Western
Australians to return to the state only if they have been vaccinated.
(1) What
arrangements are in place to accommodate returning Western Australians,
including children and those who are ineligible for vaccination for medical
reasons?
(2) What discussions, if any, have been had with the
New South Wales government to assist Western Australians who are seeking
to return home to access the vaccine?
INTERSTATE BORDER RESTRICTIONS
416. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Premier:
I refer to changes to Western Australia's
hard border with New South Wales which came in overnight and which will allow Western
Australians to return to the state only if they have been vaccinated.
(1) What
arrangements are in place to accommodate returning Western Australians,
including children and those who are ineligible for vaccination for medical
reasons?
(2) What discussions, if any, have been had with the
New South Wales government to assist Western Australians who are seeking
to return home to access the vaccine?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) Obviously,
as I just indicated, we are supporting a massive enhancement of the rollout of
the vaccine in New South Wales. I could have taken the view that we should get
our fair share, but I have not. On three separate occasions, New South Wales
has received enhanced allocations from the commonwealth government because of
the spread of COVID in New South Wales, which I have supported every single
time. I have indicated that to the commonwealth on numerous occasions. It would
have been easy to say, ''What about us? We haven't made the
mistakes that the New South Wales government has. Why are we being penalised
for that?'', but I have not said that. I have said that the people of
New South Wales need support, including Western Australians who are there, and
we will continue to do that.
In terms of children and people who
might not be able to have the vaccine for medical reasons, the police will take
that into account when they assess people who wish to return to Western Australia
under the exemption guidelines. We have to be firm on these things. We have
come up with a pathway to allow Western Australians who are stuck in New South
Wales to come home.
as I just indicated, we are supporting a massive enhancement of the rollout of
the vaccine in New South Wales. I could have taken the view that we should get
our fair share, but I have not. On three separate occasions, New South Wales
has received enhanced allocations from the commonwealth government because of
the spread of COVID in New South Wales, which I have supported every single
time. I have indicated that to the commonwealth on numerous occasions. It would
have been easy to say, ''What about us? We haven't made the
mistakes that the New South Wales government has. Why are we being penalised
for that?'', but I have not said that. I have said that the people of
New South Wales need support, including Western Australians who are there, and
we will continue to do that.
In terms of children and people who
might not be able to have the vaccine for medical reasons, the police will take
that into account when they assess people who wish to return to Western Australia
under the exemption guidelines. We have to be firm on these things. We have
come up with a pathway to allow Western Australians who are stuck in New South
Wales to come home.
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