Reflection: Labor’s Sneaky Tactics To Continue Into 2022
I believe 2022 will indeed be an interesting year. Since I last wrote a reflection, we’ve experienced a very politically intense few week. Western Australians faced multi-day blackouts over the sweltering Christmas period, leading to thousands of families suffering through multiple 40-degree days without power, air conditioning, refrigeration and electricity for essential medical equipment.
After days of silence from Energy Minister, Bill Johnston, and mounting media pressure, he finally addressed the issue only to pass it off with the announcement of a plan for an inquiry to investigate the reason why the blackouts had occurred, as well as blaming the former Liberal Government and warm weather, something which is normal for the WA summer period. This was a shocking response to an obvious problem, an under-invested electricity grid system after five years of WA Labor. This ‘plan’ for an inquiry is a sad joke and acted only as a way to silence the media from questioning him further.
This, paired with the recently announced border delay from Premier McGowan, which saw the Feb 5th reopening date replaced with slightly relaxed compassionate grounds for travellers into WA. In November last year I asked the Premier about the potential for a border reopening delay given the requirement for a 3rd booster vaccination. At the time he smugly dismissed my question and committed to the February 5th date. Now, we see my concerns were reflected in his reasoning for delaying the border. This back peddling saw media and industry alike outraged for both his inability to properly prepare our State after two years being effectively COVID free and failing to provide clarity to separated families and vital industry sectors suffering from critical skills shortages who had planned for the reopening date. While many people are relieved the border date was delayed, it doesn’t take away from the fact the Premier set a date that families and industries prepared for while he twiddled his thumbs.
As a result, Western Australians are seeing WA Labor’s pristine media image crumble with this slew of bad decision making from poor Ministers and a Premier who puts popularity above good governemnt. It is becoming increasingly difficult for him to run away from the problems he’s continued to let grow. This month, the Premier claimed the Commonwealth failed to provide enough Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) for WA, when in reality they were banned in our State, punishable with a $20,000 fine, up until the week before he fronted media with that claim. As well as ambulance ramping, which this month has already seen over 3,000 hours of ramping, nearly 3 times more than any previous Liberal Government.
Unfortunately, this is only one problem in his neglected hospital system, with regional hospitals seeing critical staff shortages, threatening the closure of emergency departments. In Geraldton, one hospital was offering to pay doctors over $40,000 for a weekend of work. The regional staff shortage scandal was not disclosed in any of the Premier’s or his rookie Health Minister’s many press conferences, but through leaked emails. As a result, I will endeavour to provide weekly COVID updates in my reflection and podcast in order to cut through Labor’s omissions and spin. If this first month is any indicator, 2022 will be an even more interesting year than 2021, with Labor becoming more brash, showing cracks in their otherwise perfectly spun PR outlook. Rest assured, I will always be at the forefront fighting make to the West the Best again.
Dr David Honey MLA
WA Liberal Leader & Member for Cottesloe
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