Plan to make it clear when QLD borders reopen
Growing problems emerging from hard-line border restrictions will form a central part of high-level talks at National Cabinet today, with one Minister slamming “city-centric decisions” for creating division throughout the nation.
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A unified set of rules and guidelines around state border closures will be part of high-level talks at National Cabinet today, following growing problems emerging from hard-line restrictions.
Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said the border talks would be a “flashpoint for the future of Australia’s federation”.
It follows the tourism and aviation sectors pushing back and demanding a plan to make it clear when the restrictions will ease, warning Queensland is “the biggest loser” from its hard-line border closures.
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Qantas recorded a huge $1.97bn loss and confirmed 6000 jobs will go, while CEO Alan Joyce revealed international flights were unlikely to resume before July 2021.
A series of “domestic border management principles” will be discussed in a bid to resolve issues, after Prime Minister Scott Morrison wrote to several premiers including Annastacia Palaszczuk this week.
It is understood a uniform approach to medical exemptions will be the top priority.
Seasonal worker and Pacific labour visas are also on the agenda, to deal with the agricultural worker shortage.
Mr Littleproud, who has been outspoken on the impact of all border bans on regional communities’ access to healthcare as well as agricultural businesses, said the restrictions had ignored the regions and left them with “unworkable solutions”.
“What these city-centric decisions fail to acknowledge is that modern regional Australia has outgrown state lines, and that many regions share strong economic, social and community links across borders,” he said.
Australia Tourism Industry Council boss Simon Westaway proposed a plan to a parliamentary committee for national guidelines to set out clearly when borders open or close. It included a trigger for reopening of borders to a region or state after 14 or 28 days of no or neglible community transmission.
“The biggest loser out of this whole debate is the state of Queensland,” Mr Westaway said. “It’s very troubling. It’s a $21m, 173 job a day decision to have closed the borders.”
Mr Joyce said there needed to be nationally consistent guidelines. “Otherwise it feels like there’s no real basis for the decisions, it’s there just to inform the politics,” he said.
“We think that eventually will cost jobs and businesses.”
