Stuart Ayres slams Mark McGowan after WA border reopening delay

WA Premier Mark McGowan has been accused of delaying the state’s border reopening because he “under-invested” in the health system and isn’t prepared.

Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan has been lashed for delaying the state’s February 5 border reopening, with one NSW MP accusing him of being unprepared for the pandemic.

Mr McGowan announced on Thursday night that the border would remain closed indefinitely instead of reopening on February 5 due to high Covid case figures and deaths in all other states and territories.

Additional travel exemptions like compassionate visits will be offered but all arrivals will need to be triple vaxxed and quarantine for 14 days.

Stuart Ayres. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Flavio Brancaleone

NSW Deputy Liberal Leader Stuart Ayres criticised Mr McGowan on Friday, claiming he was keeping the border shut because the state’s healthcare system wasn’t ready for Covid.

“It would be nice to be one country again … but the unfortunate thing here for West Australians is Mark McGowan has not got his health system ready to deal with the pandemic,” Mr Ayres told 2GB’s Ben Fordham.

“He has continually kept the border shut because he has underinvested in the health system … we spent the past two years making sure our hospital system is as resourced as possible.”

Mr Ayres added: “We have prepared it to be able to deal with the pandemic, quite clearly Mark McGowan hasn’t and the people of Western Australia are paying the price.”

Former treasurer and deputy prime minister Wayne Swan backed Mr McGowan’s decision on Friday, saying it was “sensible.”

Mr Swan also criticised the handling of the Omicron Covid wave in the eastern states, declaring Australia’s rapid antigen test shortage, rampant virus transmission, struggling contact tracing and rising deaths proved the country was “unprepared”.

Former federal treasurer Wayne Swan has backed the WA Premier’s call to keep the state’s border shut. Picture: Mick Tsikas

WA Premier Mark McGowan won’t reopen the border. Picture: Matt Jelonek/Getty Images

“I think it’s an entirely sensible decision, Mark McGowan has a choice the we didn’t have a choice on the east coast when NSW decided to let it rip,” Mr Swan told Channel 9.

“I think Mark McGowan has made a sensible choice, a hard one, which will be difficult for some people, but if you look at the east coast at the moment there‘s a de facto lockdown in operation anyway … I think it’s an entirely prudent decision.”

Heartbroken prospective travellers took to social media to decry the decision to keep them locked out.

I haven’t seen my family in more than 10 months but didn’t book flights home to Perth because I KNEW @MarkMcGowanMP would not stick to the Feb 5th date. He’s had two years to prepare the WA hospital system for Covid. An absolute joke. Embarrassing. Heartless.

— Brendan Crew (@brendancrew) January 20, 2022

My heart hurts. Tonight’s WA announcement is just so upsetting. I knew February 5th just wasn’t going to happen - but for weeks - despite cases rising over east- the Premier has PROMISED it would. Why now? Why let us get our hopes up. I miss my family.

— Charlotte Goodlet (@cgoodlet) January 20, 2022

Bullshit isn’t it. They’ve had over two years to prepare. My youngest is almost 3 and yet to meet my dad. Just had to cancel travelling home for the third time. Thanks @MarkMcGowanMP.

— Brad Cumbers 🥋 (@bradcumbers) January 20, 2022

Originally published as Stuart Ayres slams Mark McGowan after WA border reopening delay