PM’s plea to Daniel Andrews to set Melburnians free

Scott Morrison has pleaded with the Victorian Premier to reopen the state and go “as far as possible” when easing restrictions on Sunday.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has pleaded with the Victorian Premier to reopen the state and go “as far as possible” when easing restrictions on Sunday.

Praising Victorians for having “kept up their side of the bargain” and bearing the burden of the strict coronavirus lockdown measures he urged them to be allowed more freedoms.

“At some time, you’ve got to step off the shore and start moving forward again,’’ he said.

“They are all decisions for the Victorian Premier, but I know Victorians are hoping on the weekend they’ll see some significant relief from the significant impositions that have been there that have been put in place by the Victorian government to get this second wave under control.

“We cannot be complacent about this. We see what is happening in Europe at the moment – devastating results there, further restrictions coming in, curfews in major European cities. Melbourne has been going through that.

“And we don’t want to see Melbourne or Victoria go back into that situation again. But the Premier has made it clear that they have improved their tracing capability and it’s time to ensure that we can now move forward and give Victorians and Melburnians the opportunity to build back, to recover.

“They’ll be, along with the rest of the country, urging the Premier to move as far as he possibly can go, because Victorians have earned it. They’ve done the right thing. They’ve kept their side of the bargain. Now it’s time.”

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Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Picture: NCA NewsWire / James Gourley

Mr Morrison said the low COVID infection rates had come with a heavy price and great sacrifice.

“Some 70,000 jobs have been lost in Victoria over the last two months. The impact on the mental health and anxiety of Melburnians,’’ he said.

While the Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and other Victorian MPs have stepped up the pressure in recent days it’s the first time that Mr Morrison has issued such a direct plea for the restrictions to be lifted on Sunday.

Mr Morrison flew into Sydney this afternoon after being forced to cancel the national cabinet meeting after his VIP plane experienced “technical difficulties” and he couldn’t fly out of Cairns overnight.

He also revealed plans for new mercy flights to bring Australians home from the UK, South Africa and India.

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Police check cars at the Queensland border with NSW. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Steve Holland

It’s understood up to 5000 people could soon be quarantining at Howard Springs in Darwin.

“This arrangement is intended to supplement the more significant arrangements that we have in continually lifting the caps at our major ports of entry into Australia, which is now, as a result of the changes we put in place at the last National Cabinet, just over 5,500 weekly slots,’’ he said.

“Which means we’re getting more and more, and more Australians home every week. Now we’re also being able to supplement that with this additional facility, which initially, will be used to take in groups as a result of supported flights coming out of three locations. Firstly, out of the United Kingdom. But there are also flights being arranged out of India and out of South Africa.

“Not all of those will necessarily go to Howard Springs. But those flights, which are being done by Qantas, particularly the UK flight, the seats on those flights are being sold by Qantas.”

But the cost of the scheme is not cheap with travellers asked to pay the quarantine costs as is now standard.

“That will be the case there at Howard Springs and that’s at $2,500 for an individual and $5,000 for a family.”