The ‘End COVID Secrecy’ online petition from WA Liberal Leader, Dr David Honey MLA, is now active. It urges Premier Mark McGowan to fulfill his election promise of gold-standard transparency regarding COVID information.
Dr Honey said the petition will be used to press the Labor Government to meet Western Australians’ expectations of clarity and transparency regarding COVID rules.
“Throughout the pandemic, Western Australians wanted to see the modelling and health advice that underpinned the decisions made by their Government concerning Covid related rules and restrictions.
“This online petition will be a message to the Labor Government that the community does not accept the Government’s contempt for the public’s right to know and its secrecy with this important information that is clearly of great public interest.
“After two years of secrecy with this information, the time is overdue for the State Labor Government to reveal all the data, the modelling and the Chief Health Officer’s advice at the time of each border closure, travel stoppage, business restriction and the community health directions as well as for the Government’s hospital preparations.
In the absence of such information, it is reasonable to question why the Labor Government needs to hide the basis for its COVID decisions and hospital preparations.
“It is essential we have proper transparency and accountability from this Labor Government which cannot continue to simply use its Parliamentary majority to get away with secrecy and deny the public such important information,” said Dr Honey.
“I urge Western Australians to sign the petition and I will use it to back my call for Government transparency. Through this petition we can show the Government that transparency, not ill-informed fear, is essential.”