Liberal leader David Honey says a new bill due to be introduced into Parliament on Wednesday is simply “rebranding” WA’s state of emergency pandemic laws, rather than winding them back.

The unprecedented powers that allowed for WA’s intrastate and interstate borders to be closed during the height of the pandemic, and for mandatory lockdowns, were first introduced in March 2020 and have been in place under a rolling system ever since.

Honey told Liam Bartlett on 6PR Mornings the proposed new laws, which will expire after two years, are “appalling” as they simply allow the state to go to a “lesser level of alert” and would shock most members of the public.

LISTEN to Honey discuss the situation with Bartlett on Mornings

“The state of emergency will not end, this act simply continues the state of emergency under another name,” he said.