Peta Credlin: NSW Premier Dom Perrottet leading the way out of the pandemic
Dominic Perrottet is leaving other premiers in his wake as he rapidly opens up NSW, including abolishing quarantine for the fully vaccinated, writes Peta Credlin.
Opinion
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In his own measured, low-key way, almost the antithesis of the spin-driven modern politician, Dominic Perrottet went from newly installed NSW Premier last week to a full-blown national leader.
We don’t usually see that sort of transformation in a fortnight, but he left the other premiers in his wake as he declared a rapid opening up of his state, including the easing of hospitality caps, increasing visitors to the home, and, from November 1, that NSW would “rejoin the world” with open borders and the abolition of quarantine of any kind for the fully vaccinated.
Pity the poor Victorians.
On November 1, they will still live in a state divided, with Melburnians banned from driving more than 25km, masks still required outdoors, a ban on indoor retail and hospitality, and no visitors in the home.
On paper, they might be being told they’re out of lockdown on October 26, but it is little more than the promised lifting of a curfew that should never have been there in the first place.
Things are grim in Australia’s southern mainland state — and likely to get worse as people line up to leave once the borders are open.
In the first six months of this year there’s been a net migration out of Melbourne of 43,000 people, with the state losing 120,000 jobs in September alone.
With Sydney’s better economic climate and Brisbane’s pre-Olympics boom under way, there’s every indication that Melbourne’s fortunes will continue to slide.
From most liveable to most locked up as been one hell of a comedown for Victorians, and there’s no doubt that scars of this pandemic will take a long time to heal.
But rather than tackle this head-on and repeal the business-crushing taxes his government announced in his recent budget, Daniel Andrews is focused on the fallout from explosive testimony to Victoria’s anti-corruption watchdog last week.
With another four weeks of it still to go, you can be assured Labor will try to make some big announcements this week to try to change the political conversation.
The problem for Andrews now is that a growing number of Victorians see him as the problem: arrogant, untrustworthy and a bully.
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