’We can only play it safe for so long’: Decision on borders needed as NT Government stance becomes irrational

THE Gunner Government has tied itself in knots on the borders debate and it needs to make a decision in the next week on when and how they will reopen. Keeping the borders closed without a date or plan to reopen them is now irrational.

The Gunner Government has tied itself in knots on the borders debate and it needs to make a decision in the next week on when and how they will reopen. Picture: Glenn Campbell

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THE Gunner Government has tied itself in knots on the borders debate and it needs to make a decision in the next week on when and how they will reopen.

Keeping the borders closed without a date or plan to reopen them is now irrational. As each day goes by without a decision, the Territory is risking an economic catastrophe.

Few are disputing the fact this Government has done a great job handling the COVID-19 crisis but soon we could be lagging behind the rest of Australia.

We already know more than 11,000 people have bypassed forced quarantine since our borders closed in late March, yet we currently have no active cases and we have not recorded a coronavirus case for 24 days.

Across Australia, there are 33 people in hospital with COVID-19 — only five are in intensive care.

More than 1.22 million tests have been conducted and 99.4 per cent came back negative.

The argument that the rest of Australia still poses a serious threat to the Territory no longer stacks up against the facts.

Even Australia’s deputy chief medical officer says closed state and territory borders are unnecessary.

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The Territory can only play it safe for so long. Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT – whose borders have remained open – have all seen falling COVID-19 cases and, as a result, they are further easing restrictions from June 1.

One wonders whether this Government is more concerned about recoiling from its strong stance a few weeks ago, which included Health Minister Natasha Fyles saying there would be no tourists visiting the Territory this dry season.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner has also stood firm on keeping the borders closed but our poll of more than 2300 votes shows plenty are losing patience.

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The results say 54 per cent want the borders to reopen in either June (31 per cent) or July (23 per cent) and a further 14 per cent in August.

Only 32 per cent want the borders closed until September.

The clock is ticking, Mr Gunner, and the clock says we need clarity on our borders.

Thousands of Territory jobs are relying on it.