Virgin CEO Jayne Hrdlicka not ‘callous’ on COVID deaths, says Flight Centre’s Graham Turner

The billionaire boss doubles down on Virgin chief’s controversial Covid comments, saying Australia has to learn to ‘accept’ deaths.

Flight Centre managing director Graham Turner has defended Virgin Australia CEO Jayne Hrdlicka amid an outcry over her “matter of fact” assessment that borders needed to reopen even though it could mean some people would die. Picture: Dan Peled.

Flight Centre CEO Graham “Skroo” Turner has backed Virgin Australia CEO Jayne Hrdlicka following her assessment that international borders needed to open even though some people may die.

Mr Turner was among the crowd at Monday’s QUT Business Leaders Forum in Brisbane where Ms Hrdlicka made the controversial remarks while stating her case for borders to open.

She said reopening borders would require a change of narrative from politicians, to help Australians accept COVID would become part of the community.

“It will make us sick but won’t put us into hospital. Some people may die but it will be way smaller than the flu,” Ms Hrdlicka told the event.

“We’re forgetting the fact we have learnt to live with lots of viruses and challenges over the years and the government has to learn to live with this and sooner than June 2022.”

Mr Turner said it was fair enough to assume that people would die from COVID-19 in Australia “just like 2000 die from the flu each year, and a myriad of other causes”.

“It didn’t sound callous to me,” said Mr Turner whose travel agency business has been hard hit by the pandemic and border closures.

“I thought it was quite well said. People will die (from COVID), people will just have to accept that.”

He remained hopeful borders would continue to open gradually, with more “safe travel zones” like the trans-Tasman bubble to be added, as more people became vaccinated in Australia.

“The point is we can’t stay shut forever. But it’s a question of when do we open, and what are the conditions for opening,” Mr Turner said.

“COVID-19 is still going to exist which is why the vaccination program is the absolute key. It means people won’t die.”

Australian Tourism Industry Council executive director Simon Westaway said the travel industry recognised there would be a gradual pathway to reopening borders “as much as that might hurt”.

Virgin Australia CEO Jayne Hrdlicka at the QUT Business Leaders Forum in Brisbane on Monday. Picture: Supplied.

“The reason is we’re not vaccinated as a country, and we have got to get this program out of the blocks,” said Mr Westaway.

“You look at the current situation abroad where the virus is rampant, and Australia has very low vaccination rates.

“Ms Hrdlicka is right about the need to move towards a reopening but it’s going to have to be gradual and in lock-step with government.”

Virgin Australia moved into damage control on Tuesday in the wake of Ms Hrdlicka’s comments, taking to social media to highlight that “health and safety” was the airline’s highest priority.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison declared her remarks “insensitive” and said any death from COVID-19 was a terrible tragedy no matter how old the victim.

“I’m not going to take risks with Australians’ lives. I’m not going to do that an I’m going to make sure we maintain a regime that has so far avoided the loss of about 30,000 lives,” Mr Morrison said on Tuesday.

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian expressed similar sentiments saying “no death was acceptable” when it came to risking the spread of COVID-19.

But Nationals Senator Matt Canavan backed Ms Hrdlicka’s “stark” comments, saying it was about time Australia had the conversation about its road map for reopening.

“I think those who have jumped on her are doing so a little “opportunistically,” Senator Canavan told Sky News.

“Eventually when we open up, eventually when we ease some restrictions, there will be the unfortunate situation that some people, even with the vaccine, may get sick and ultimately die just like they do with the flu and other diseases. We can’t stay under the doona forever.”