Scott Morrison issues grim warning for future of international travel

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has no plan for allowing overseas travel in the “foreseeable” future, saying a big roadblock is standing in his way.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has shared a grim forecast for overseas travel, despite Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg pointing to a border reopening in January 2021.

Speaking to A Current Affair host Tracy Grimshaw on Thursday, Mr Morrison said he has no plan in place for how Australians will be able to travel overseas should there be no vaccine developed for coronavirus.

“That will be very challenging,” Mr Morrison said of overseas travel.

“Right now the opportunity for large-scale travel beyond our borders is not foreseeable.”

Mr Morrison’s comments came just hours after Mr Frydenberg dropped a big clue in the economic update on Thursday that he expects international air travel to resume and Australia’s borders to reopen on January 1, 2021.

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Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he does not have a plan for overseas travel in the ‘foreseeable’ future. Picture: A Current Affair/Channel 9

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While the Treasurer stressed that no policy decisions had been made, the assumptions on international borders lifting were based around when the Federal Government predicted some COVID-19 restrictions could begin to be eased.

“From 1 January to 30 June 2021, it is assumed that the travel ban is lifted, but that a two-week quarantine period is required of arrivals to Australia,” the statement says. “This leads to the resumption of arrivals by temporary and permanent migrants, but at lower levels overall than normal,’’ the Treasury document states.

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Treasurer Josh Frydenberg pointed to a January 2021 reopening of borders. Picture: Gary Ramage/NCA NewsWire

Mr Frydenberg said that opening of borders gradually would primarily be for international students to return back to Australia, and would still require the 14-day mandatory quarantine for arriving travellers.

“In terms of the borders, the assumptions are that it very gradually starts to come back, that the quarantine is applied, that you start potentially bringing in some international students,” he said.

Mr Morrison said that while he couldn’t put a date on wider international travel, he expected a bubble between New Zealand and Australia to be launched by the year’s end.

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“I would hope and expect that before the end of the year, New Zealand and Australia would be able to agree on a safe travel zone,” he said in the ACA interview.

“Prime Minister Ardern and I were only talking about it last week and she remains as committed to that as I do. We are progressing that … and there are many Pacific nations equally that want to be able to be part of that.

“Discussions that I had with the Japanese PM Shinzō Abe … they are keen to see safe travel (between nations) so we will adjust and we can adjust.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he doesn’t have a plan for international travel without a vaccine. Picture: Gary Ramage/NCA NewsWire

NZ PM Jacinda Ardern is looking at creating a travel bubble with the Cook Islands before Australia. Picture: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

Mr Morrison’s comments come as New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she would prioritise travel arrangements with other countries before Australia.

Instead of Australia as a first option, Ms Ardern is now giving first dibs to the COVID-free Cook Islands, which form part of the Realm of New Zealand in the Pacific, along with Tokelau and Niue.

“It’s clear to us that opening up with Realm countries, keeping in mind they are New Zealand passport holders, will come before any opening up with Australia,” Ms Ardern told Newshub.

The Cook Islands has been pushing for a travel bubble with New Zealand, with its Deputy Prime Minister Mark Brown saying earlier this month he’d had “encouraging” discussions with New Zealand authorities on the subject.