Police would not agree to stop accessing COVID SafeWA app data, Premier Mark McGowan says

The WA government was forced to introduce legislation after failing to reach an agreement with police over the use of information collected from the SafeWA app, Premier Mark McGowan says.

Police legally accessed QR code check-in data gathered from the app on two occasions during investigations into the high-profile murder of former Rebels bikie boss Nick Martin.

But Mr McGowan said the app should only be used for contact tracing, and last night legislation passed the Lower House to prevent WA Police and the Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC) from accessing data collected through it.

Mr McGowan said he found out in April about police accessing the data to find witnesses to a number of serious crimes, including a murder, but failed to negotiate an agreement with police.

"We attempted to negotiate an agreement with the police. They advised that it was lawful, and they couldn't not do things that are lawful," he told ABC Radio Perth.

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