Matt Keogh (Burt, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister and his Attorney-General need to keep their noses out of WA state matters. Premier Mark McGowan in Western Australia has been doing a fantastic job managing the coronavirus crisis and keeping Western Australians safe by maintaining a hard border. The Prime Minister talks a big game about the unity of his national cabinet, but now who is he joining along with in the High Court action against the state of Western Australia? Clive Palmer.

In the greatest state in the Commonwealth, Western Australia, we want people to come and visit. We would really look forward to it when it is safe. Whilst we are seeing so much transmission in the community still occurring in other parts of the country, it's important that we maintain the strength of our border. That's allowed us to start on the road to economic recovery and ease restrictions in Western Australia much faster than we've seen in other parts of the country.

Meanwhile, during this whole time, the economy of Australia has been propped up through the power of the WA resources industry, an industry that we know well in Western Australia. But, through this, we have seen great cooperation between the state government, industries and peak bodies in coming together, cooperating, finding a way through, maintaining strength in the border and maintaining safety for those workers. We don't want to see any of that put at risk in Western Australia. That is why it is so important that Scott Morrison and his government keep their noses out of WA matters, keep the people of Western Australia safe and stop walking around like big bullies.