COVID-19 Restrictions

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (15:19): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Health and Wellbeing a question about COVID restrictions.

Leave granted.

The Hon. F. PANGALLO: New South Wales Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, reportedly overruled the advice of their state's Chief Health Officer, Dr Kerry Chant, last night, to choose Monday 18 October as the date to reopen the New South Wales economy.

The tentative reopening target is planned to coincide with 70 per cent of the state's eligible population being fully vaccinated, but Dr Chant reportedly advocated for a more careful plan for reopening, suggesting 80 per cent to 85 per cent vaccination coverage would be better suited to avoid the risk of entering another lockdown at a later date—one potentially more significant than the current one plaguing New South Wales. This occurred in an environment where New South Wales recorded 1,405 newly acquired COVID-19 cases and six more deaths. My question to the minister is:

1. Does he agree with Premier Berejiklian's decision to reopen the New South Wales economy earlier than advised by Dr Chant?

2. What is the targeted population vaccination rate being sought by our Chief Public Health Officer, Professor Nicola Spurrier, before this state's restrictions can be fully lifted?

3. Does the State Coordinator and Premier agree with that target rate?

4. Can the minister rule out the State Coordinator and/or the Premier making similar captain's calls as the New South Wales Premier did?

The PRESIDENT: Before calling the minister, a couple of the questions sought the opinion of the minister on other people; however, I will invite the minister to respond to the other questions.

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:21): Indeed, as the humble state health minister in South Australia I am not responsible for the advice the New South Wales Premier does or doesn't take from her chief health officer. However, to state the clear point, New South Wales and South Australia are in a vastly different situation. Tragically, New South Wales has very significant levels of community transmission, and its pathway out of the pandemic is much more challenging than ours. That doesn't mean that the hard work will be able to be eased off, and that is the hard work of the—

The Hon. E.S. Bourke interjecting:

The Hon. S.G. WADE: If members of the opposition want to heckle me on the pandemic, let that be on the record.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The minister will continue.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Let the record show—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —that the Labor opposition wants to mock me when I am talking about the hard work of the people of South Australia, the hard work of the SA Health workforce to try to get us out of this pandemic. There will be hard months ahead, so if the Labor opposition—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Hunter is out of order.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —has decided that now is the time to talk about a bipartisan—

The PRESIDENT: Order! There is a point of order. Minister, resume your seat.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —approach to the pandemic—

The PRESIDENT: Minister, resume your seat! There is a point of order from the Leader of the Opposition.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Point of order: the minister was trying to impute motives on the opposition, as he said 'mocking him', not mocking the hard work of South Australians which we have all congratulated.

The PRESIDENT: There is no point of order. The minister is obviously going to conclude his comments very soon.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Thank you, Mr President, for your—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: I could make the point that it will make it much more difficult to conclude quickly if I get heckled by the opposition because I have a duty to answer the question of the Hon. Mr Pangallo—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —and their desire to stop me from giving it will not do so.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order, the Hon. Mr Hunter!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: As Chair of the JPSC, I could ask you to please stop serving red cordial on Thursdays; it does terrible things to the Labor opposition.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Point of order.

The PRESIDENT: There is a point of order from the Leader of the Opposition.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: The minister seems to be mocking the hard work of South Australians during the pandemic.

The PRESIDENT: I didn't even hear what you said, but if you want to repeat it you may. No?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: Point of order: the minister obviously doesn't know that the JPSC does not sit or meet on a Thursday.

The PRESIDENT: There is no point of order in either of those. Has the minister concluded?

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Yes.