Despite an almost catastrophic escalation in COVID infections in the Eastern States there has been no official update to the Western Australian State Governments announcement of their intention to open the borders in February since December 15th

Todate, Western Australians have been kept safe from such infection levels and can only look on in fear and horror as we brace ourselves for what seems to be an enviable onslaught.

Strong, WA centric governance has ensured the almost unabated continuation of our freedoms and prosperity. Surely if we can continue to avoid the impact of COVID we should?

90% vaccination rates will not stop the spread of the disease and it will take only a low percentage of serious illness to overwhelm our hospital system and close down key areas of our economy.

Why then should we trade away what were considered non negotiables just a few months ago because a somewhat arbitrary percentage of  vaccination (as opposed to immunisation) has been achieved?

The Premier and his government have been conspicuously absent of late with no attempts made to allay our fears or reassure us that the WA experience will be different or better than that currently being experienced in the Eastern States

With this in mind:

We the people of Western Australia hereby beseech our elected Premier, The Hon Mr Mark McGowan to:

• Reconsider the decision to reopen the WA borders on February the 5th.
• Keep borders closed to high risk regions and unvaccinated travellers no exceptions.
• Conduct weekly reviews of the transition plan and provide weekly updates to the public.
• Not reconsider opening the borders until a high degree of booster immunisation has been achieved.
• Approve all compassionate requests to leave the state but apply point  one all requests to return.
• Put future decisions to reopen to referendum.
• Remove red tape to allow nursing students to easily access training and placements.

Understandably the medical, scientific and political narrative around this pandemic has changed and evolved many times since early 2020.

We, the public are as informed as we are allowed to be let us decide when and how we re welcome the world to our state. Not the Prime Minster of this country or any other.