Quarantine Solutions

Christmas Island: Tropical destination, detention facility, coronavirus  quarantine zone | ABC News - YouTube

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Is this an answer but it has now become political?

Are the two sides fighting each other for their own political voice?

Who has the country's best interests at heart?

 

 

COVID hotel quarantine solution 'staring us in the face', WA Premier Mark McGowan insists33 mins ago     WA Premier Mark McGowan is seen wearing a face mask at the opening of the Claremont Showgrounds Covid-19 Vaccine Centre on April 28, 2021 in Perth, Australia. Premier Mark McGowan has announced the opening of two new COVID-19 vaccination clinics in Perth, open to eligible Western Australians at the Claremont Showgrounds and Perth Airport.© (Photo by Matt Jelonek/Getty Images) WA Premier Mark McGowan is seen wearing a face mask at the opening of the Claremont Showgrounds Covid-19 Vaccine Centre on April 28, 2021 in Perth, Australia. Premier Mark McGowan has announced the opening of two new COVID-19 vaccination clinics in Perth, open to eligible Western Australians at the Claremont Showgrounds and Perth Airport.

West Australian Premier Mark McGowan has all but ruled out building new COVID-19 quarantine centres to replace hotels, but argues the solution is "staring us in the face" in purpose-built Commonwealth facilities.

In an interview with the ABC, Mr McGowan vowed to do everything to reduce the risk of another outbreak following the weekend's three-day lockdown in the Perth and Peel regions.

But he said a purpose-built quarantine facility to replace the trouble-plagued hotels would take years to build, and hoped that by then vaccinations would mean the pandemic was not the problem it was today.

"I don't want to go down the course of commissioning and building a facility that might be worth hundreds of millions of dollars if we're not going to need it," he said.

McGowan keeps pressure on Commonwealth

Mr McGowan again sought to pressure the Morrison government to hand over access to facilities he said were purpose-built for quarantine.

"We do know there's [RAAF] Curtin Air Base and there's Yongah Hill [immigration detention centre], and there's Christmas Island [immigration detention centre], all Commonwealth-controlled, basically quarantine facilities built for these purposes," he said.

"But the Commonwealth doesn't want to use them for quarantine. It's kind of staring us in the face that there are things that could assist, it's just that the Commonwealth doesn't want to do it."

A review of potential facilities to quarantine Australians returning from overseas will include locations across the suburbs of Perth and in regional areas.

"We'll review what's out there currently, see if anything can be repurposed," Mr McGowan said.

"That's why we asked the Commonwealth to use facilities that are existing, that were built for this purpose."

Facilities not fit for purpose: Dutton

Defence Minister Peter Dutton has already flatly rejected Mr McGowan's request to use federal facilities.

"I'd love to tell you that air bases or the Christmas Island facility are fit for purpose but it is not," Mr Dutton told the ABC's Insiders program on Sunday.

"There is not the segregation of facilities such as the mess and where people need to come together in blocks for, you know, showers or toilets or whatever it might be.

"If you are talking about tented facilities, which you would need, our air bases don't hold thousands of people."

As the standoff with the Commonwealth continues, the WA government is preparing to phase out the three most high-risk hotels from quarantine use, including the Mercure Hotel where the latest outbreak originated.

Guests banned from WA Parliament opening

Meanwhile, there will be a scaled-back opening of the new WA Parliament today following the state election less than two months ago.

Guests will be banned and everyone else must wear masks, as the new Legislative Assembly MPs are sworn in ahead of the first question time of the year.

Following its thumping election win, Labor has control of both chambers of Parliament for the first time.

Despite that, Mr McGowan promised he would lead a "sober" government and would not overreach his power.

He said it would be a "safe, stable, responsible and progressive" government.

Bail laws to be toughened

Touching on Labor's election promises, the Premier said the key agenda items over the next four years would be to build infrastructure like the new women's and babies hospital and focus on manufacturing, such as rail car components.

He said the government would also use its power to ensure the stalled anti-consorting laws aimed at dismantling bikie gangs pass through Parliament.

"We're going to ensure that we toughen up the Bail Act, especially in relation to dangerous sex offenders," Mr McGowan said.

"We're going to make sure we extend the state of emergency legislation so we can deal with both [COVID-19] and any other emergencies that might arise, and we're going to help small business people with sub-contractor law reforms."

 

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