Wednesday, 15 September 2021

 Mr DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:13): (1512) My matter for the adjournment today is for the attention of the Minister for Health. Ballarat is about to be locked down. There are obviously rising cases there, and the Ballarat community is about to be locked down for one week, at least.

Ms Crozier: No curfew?

Mr DAVIS: No, but, Ms Crozier, this is a very serious matter, and on this point there will be, behind the order to lock down Ballarat, a brief that is provided to the chief health officer. I say if the Premier, the chief health officer and the health minister are going to slam Ballarat shut—maybe with good justification—the community should see the brief. They should be able to look at this brief, to examine it and to understand in full the decision that has been made. I say that the Premier and the health minister should today release that brief and ensure that the whole Ballarat community gets to see it. They should send a copy to the council, they should send a copy to the local hospital and they should send a copy to the local newspaper and—

Members interjecting.

Mr DAVIS: I was getting to the local MPs—it should also go to the local MPs. All in the community should be able to see the reasons, the calculations and the decisions that have been made. Transparency is important here and honesty is important, and it is time the government came clean. They have never once, not once, released the briefings behind the health information and the health decisions—not once—and I say in the case of Ballarat today they are entitled to see the reasons.