Parliamentary Debates (HANSARD) FORTY-FIRST PARLIAMENT FIRST SESSION 2021 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Thursday, 3 June 2021 Legislative Assembly Thursday, 3 June 2021 THE SPEAKER (Mrs M.H. Roberts) took the chair at 9.00 am, acknowledged country and read prayers. ELECTORAL REFORM — REGIONAL REPRESENTATION Petition MR P.J. RUNDLE (Roe) [9.02 am]: I have a petition that has been certified by the clerks from 23 petitioners that is couched in the following terms — To the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Western Australia in Parliament Assembled. We, the undersigned, are strongly opposed to any cuts made by the McGowan Labor Government to regional voices in our Parliament. There is no doubt that regional WA is the engine room of our state and ripping away regional voices will only be harmful to the communities which help this state to grow and prosper. We therefore ask the Legislative Assembly to speak up for regional Western Australians and call on the Government to ensure there is no reduction in regional representation. And your petitioners as duty bound, will ever pray. [See petition 6.] FLU SEASON — VACCINATIONS Statement by Minister for Health MR R.H. COOK (Kwinana — Minister for Health) [9.03 am]: As we know, flu season is upon us. As such, I would like to update the house on this year’s campaign to ensure more Western Australians get vaccinated. The key message of the campaign is: “Influenza—it’s now time to get vaccinated.” The influenza vaccination campaign is scheduled to run from 26 May until mid-August 2021. The campaign will run across various channels, including press, radio, outdoor, digital and social. The campaign messaging clearly distinguishes between the influenza vaccination campaign and the COVID-19 vaccination campaign. The campaign call-to-action messaging encourages people to talk to their general practitioner or immunisation provider and book in their influenza vaccination. The campaign artwork includes a diverse range of people representative of the mainstream community and groups most at risk of influenza. This campaign has been planned to avoid being in the market at the same time as the COVID-19 vaccination campaign. We have a sufficient supply of influenza vaccine to meet demand. Vaccine distribution commenced on 22 March for people aged 65 years and over, and on 12 April 2021 for other cohorts. As of 28 May, 589 247 doses of government program influenza vaccine had been distributed. In real terms this means 88 per cent of the allocation for over 65s has been distributed; 74 per cent of the allocation for the WA healthcare worker staff program has been distributed; and 44 per cent of the allocation for state primary school children has been distributed. Although distribution of the vaccine throughout our community is taking place, there is work to be done on ensuring our community is accessing it. As of 30 May, 524 689 influenza vaccinations were recorded on the Australian Immunisation Register. Unfortunately, this equates to only 19 per cent coverage. At the same time last year, coverage was 33.9 per cent. Coverage for children aged over six months to under five years is 9.7 per cent compared with 40.9 per cent at the same time last year. Coverage for adults aged 65 years or older is 51.2 per cent compared with 65.2 per cent this time last year. Healthcare worker influenza vaccination coverage is currently 32.6 per cent compared with the 80.6 per cent coverage achieved across WA healthcare workers in 2020. We should be all taking it upon ourselves to remind Western Australians to get vaccinated this flu season. By getting vaccinated, as I did last week, Madam Speaker, you are not only protecting yourself, but also helping to protect the most vulnerable in our community. ROAD SAFETY — DRINK AND DRUG–DRIVING OFFENCES Statement by Minister for Police MR P. PAPALIA (Warnbro — Minister for Police) [9.06 am]: On Sunday, I launched the Road Safety Commission’s new Time to Sweat campaign, which will raise community awareness of the new drink and drug–driving offences and penalties. The campaign is now running statewide on television, radio, and digital platforms. The campaign about the new and tougher penalties for impaired driving that come into effect from 1 July will put drink and drug–drivers on notice. For the first time, drivers caught with both alcohol and drugs in their system will [ASSEMBLY — Thursday, 3 June 2021] 1309 be charged with new offences of driving with a blood alcohol content of or above a particular level with a prescribed illicit drug in oral fluid or blood. Western Australia is only the third state to introduce a specific poly-offence for driving while affected by a combination of alcohol and drugs. Penalties for existing standalone drink-driving and drug-driving offences will increase by a minimum of 1.5 times the current penalty. The penalty for refusing to comply with a direction from police to provide a breath or saliva sample for testing will generally more than double. The increase in penalties reflects the seriousness of driving while affected by drugs or alcohol. Impaired driving is a major contributor to road trauma in WA. Last year, 7 500 drivers were caught drink-driving and 4 000 people were caught drug-driving. In addition, there were 42 road fatalities for which alcohol was suspected to be a factor. With significant changes in enforcement and tougher penalties, we are sending a strong message to the community that if you get behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol and drugs, it’s time to sweat. COUNT ME IN — SWAN DISTRICTS FOOTBALL CLUB Statement by Minister for Sport and Recreation DR A.D. BUTI (Armadale — Minister for Sport and Recreation) [9.08 am]: I rise to inform the house about the annual Count Me In day hosted by Swan Districts Football Club. Mr D.J. Kelly: Hear, hear! Dr A.D. BUTI: It is the West Australian Football League club that the member for Bassendean obviously follows! Of course, it is close to your heart, too, Madam Speaker. The SPEAKER: That is right. Dr A.D. BUTI: Based on the Disability Services Commission’s Count Me In strategy, the annual event sees two all-abilities football teams face-off in a game of footy as the curtain-raiser to a Swan Districts WAFL home game. The club has led from the front in this space. In 2007, Maurice Embley approached the club with the idea that people with a disability, their families and carers be given the opportunity to be guests of the club at a Swans home game. Two years later, this led to a formal proposal to government to expand the initiative to all WAFL clubs, resulting in over 800 invitations being sent out to people with a disability, their carers and family members that same year. From there, the WAFL dedicated a round to be specifically known as Count Me In round. People with disabilities have gone from being VIP guests at the game to taking their positions on the field in an integrated football match. It is really pleasing to see the focus of the Swan Districts Football Club is on not just winning premierships and producing talent, but also building a strong local community around it and developing good people. The Count Me In round provides a terrific opportunity to recognise and celebrate people with disabilities and promote a stronger, inclusive community. Additionally, clubs like the Swans have seen many unforeseen benefits across the club as a result of supporting the Count Me In initiative, including an increase in volunteer numbers, new sponsors, growth in club memberships, employment opportunities and, most importantly, a greater community presence. Last Saturday I attended this year’s Count Me In round at Steel Blue Oval where the Willetton and Kingsway all-abilities sides went head to head in a great contest. There was action on and off the field, with Sparkle and Shine dancers matching the energy of the players on the park! Sparkle and Shine dancers have performed at many big events, including the WA Special Olympics, so it was pretty special getting to see them perform. I also had the pleasure of meeting “Trev the Legend”, who has been a volunteer parking attendant at the club for 20 years! The commitment and dedication Trev has shown to the Swans is truly admirable. I commend the Swan Districts Football Club for leading the way to increase public awareness, understanding and acceptance of all people with disabilities, but also creating and maintaining a strong sense of community at the club. WATER DEFICIENCY DECLARATIONS — REVOCATION Statement by Minister for Water MR D.J. KELLY (Bassendean — Minister for Water) [9.11 am]: I rise to advise the house that nine water deficiency declarations across six shires have been recently revoked. A water deficiency declaration is a government response to provide water to farmers for emergency animal welfare needs during very dry periods. Climate change has significantly impacted rainfall in the dryland agricultural communities of the south-eastern wheatbelt. This led to an unprecedented 12 water deficiency declarations being declared over 2019 and 2020. In response to this, the McGowan government has spent more than $3.7 million on direct water carting to central locations to support emergency livestock needs, $2.2 million on the development and upgrading of strategic community water supplies and government-owned water sources since June 2018, and $1.5 million partnering with local government to upgrade existing and develop new community water supplies.