Yesterday’s announcement by new Health Minister Sanderson of pop-up marquees outside WA hospitals to deal with the COVID surge is a stark example of WA Labor’s ad hoc preparation for rising COVID cases.

Clearly, after two years of their boasting about keeping WA safe, our State is about to beplunged into being in the least safe position in the nation upon re-opening.

Yet, new Health Minister Sanderson, upon her appointment a month ago and despite the long failures of her predecessor Roger Cook, insisted that under her we are “ready to cope”. 

WA Liberal Leader, Dr David Honey MLA, said there has been ample time for the WA Labor Government to prepare for reopening the borders.

“After campaigning for a better health system when they were in Opposition and now five years in Government, two elections later and two years of being COVID-free in which to prepare WA’s Healthcare system for re-opening, we have ‘circus tents’ to show for it.

“If this is the best over 3 billion dollars in top-up Covid funding can do in 2022, then Western Australians deserve more answers as to why we haven’t been sufficiently prepared.

“The Premier is now scrambling to prepare for February 5th, for example now rushing to acquire Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT’s) that under his Government were banned and punishable with a $20,000 fine until last week”, said Dr Honey.

“We’ve seen the Premier push back against common sense health measures, complaining the Federal Government isn’t providing RAT tests fast enough, while refusing to disclose when Labor even ordered them for WA and why they had banned them for so long.

“It is a clear sign of lack of leadership and preparation by the McGowan Labor Government to now be in a position of having to lift bans on the use of tests that have long been normalised nationwide, so that they can put in wholesale orders for the same item.

“These inconsistencies need to be addressed by the Premier; we’re set to open the border in just over two weeks while his new Health Minister continues to flim-flam on these matters.

“West Australian’s need assurances, not empty platitudes”, said Dr Honey.

Release by:

Dr David Honey MLA

WA Liberal Leader & Member for Cottesloe