COVID-19 testing
Dr CUMMING (Western Metropolitan) (09:52): I rise to speak today about rapid testing. For months I have advocated for the use of rapid tests, and my office was actually told by Associate Professor Joseph Boyle that rapid tests could not be used as they were inaccurate and they did not work in all settings—and this was during the pandemic bill debate, mind you, just a week before. Yet now the government has adopted rapid testing and it is used for schools, child care, health workers and a wide range of industries. Now, I do not know what has changed. As far as I know, rapid tests have not changed, and neither has their accuracy. But I do know that this government has failed to manage the supply of rapid tests and the use of them. Despite the fact they mandated rapid testing, they blamed the federal government. Initially this government ordered 2.2 million rapid tests for health workers and its pet projects but then another 37 million by the end of December. But on 6 January the Premier announced that he would actually move away from PCR testing and go towards rapid testing. Now, this Andrews government took another two weeks to order 166 million kits. It is simply a supply-and-demand issue. When is this government going to realise that rapid tests are the way to go for allowing people to work, rest and play, rather than worrying about their vaccination status?