COVID-19 Response

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (15:25): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Health and Wellbeing a question regarding COVID planning.

Leave granted.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: At the end of January, the Mount Gambier Border Watch, an exceptionally reputable publication, had an article entitled 'McBride: election an influence on border opening'. The article went on to quote the local member for MacKillop, Nick McBride, saying:

'He wanted the problems in January…nothing like that in March,' Mr McBride said, suggesting that the border opening in November was hoped to get a forecast surge in problems associated with the expected peak in Covid-19 cases out of the way early so that it would be 'as normal as possible going to March and beyond'.

It was a stunning revelation from the member for MacKillop about the political strategy of the government. We heard even further stunning revelations yesterday in this chamber in relation to the attempts to politicise the health department and the COVID response from the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. We heard about the revelations from the Ombudsman about attempts to do so, media commentary from last week about attempts to do so and other members talking in this chamber about it.

My question to the minister is: can the minister explain why the government's border reopening plan was politically designed to help the government at the coming state election, as revealed by the member for MacKillop?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:27): I regard that as a bizarre suggestion. If I could remind the honourable members of what happened at the end of last year—

The Hon. K.J. Maher: Are you having a go at the member for MacKillop? That's an outrageous way to describe Nick McBride.

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order! Minister, please! The honourable Leader of the Opposition, you have asked your question. It was listened to in silence. You have invited the minister to provide an answer. He will be heard in silence.

The Hon. K.J. Maher: He is calling Nick McBride 'bizarre'.

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: The honourable Leader of the Opposition!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: The honourable member seems to be wanting to suggest that somehow South Australia prematurely opened its borders for the sake of the timing of the state election. Let's remember that at the end of last year—

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —the South Australian government decided to open its borders on 23 November. During the week after that, the world became aware of Omicron. After—

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Excuse me, Mr Deputy President, are we going to have order in this house?

The Hon. K.J. Maher: Health said to shut the borders, and the Chief Public Health Officer told you to shut the borders.

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: The honourable Leader of the Opposition, do you want an answer or not? Because if you don't, he can sit down and we will just move on. Now, enough.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: The South Australian government made the decision in relation to 23 November. That was before Omicron had been identified. The—

The Hon. K.J. Maher: It was the government who made the decision? Nothing to do with the police commissioner?

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. K.J. Maher: So it was a political decision by the government?

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order! Do you want an answer or not?

The Hon. K.J. Maher: Sorry. Yes, sir.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Subsequent to the identification of Omicron, the government of Tasmania and the government of Queensland went ahead with their plans to open their borders. By Christmas 2021, there was only one government in Australia that hadn't opened its borders, and that is the government of Western Australia. Western Australia has not been able to escape the Omicron variant, and I refute the suggestion of the honourable member—

The Hon. K.J. Maher: Nick McBride.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —the honourable Leader of the Opposition.

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. K.J. Maher: Are you having a go at Nick McBride again? You are refuting his suggestion once more.

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: I refute the implication of the honourable Leader of the Opposition that this decision was a political one.