Unlock state borders to kickstart job opportunities

After months of lockdown in the nation’s two largest cities, the rise in unemployment from 4.5 per cent to 4.6 per cent in September was no surprise. But it underlined the importance of lifting border restrictions sooner rather than later, especially in jurisdictions that have had no signs of coronavirus for days. Delta lockdowns triggered 138,000 job losses last month, pushing total employment below pre-pandemic levels. The largest falls were in Victoria (123,000 people) and NSW (25,000 people, following the 173,000 decline in August). Australian Bureau of Statistics figures reveal the number of employed people dropped by 284,000 during the past two months, with the participation rate falling again last month to 64.5 per cent from 65.2 per cent.

While 0.9 per cent fewer Australians were employed in September than in March last year, employment in NSW and Victoria was 5 per cent under pre-Covid levels and 2 per cent below those levels in the ACT. Across the rest of Australia, employment was 3 per cent higher. The divergent fortunes between locked-down states, especially Victoria last month, and the rest of the nation was “a telling reminder of why we must stick to our plan agreed at national cabinet to reopen our economy safely”, Josh Frydenberg said.

Emergency payments, the federal Treasurer confirmed, will be cut off when jurisdictions reach 80 per cent double-vaccination coverage. Like lockdowns, he said, such payments “cannot be there forever” and “the cheapest form of stimulus for the economy is vaccination”. On that score, Australians are forging ahead, with more than 65 per cent of people over 16 fully vaccinated. More than 83 per cent have had at least one dose. That includes 91 per cent of people over 16 in NSW, 87 per cent in Victoria and more than 95 per cent in the ACT, where more than 91 per cent of those aged 12 to 15 have also had one dose. Those figures raise an important question: why was the national capital still locked down until one minute to midnight on Thursday? There was no good reason. Some restrictions are now lifted and more will be eased from October 29.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, to his credit, is sticking to the national reopening plan, despite Victoria recording a daily record of Covid cases on Thursday. In a blunt warning, Mr Andrews said his government would open up next week when the percentage of adults fully vaccinated reached 70 per cent. “It is already a pandemic of the unvaccinated,” he said. “But it will absolutely be a pandemic of the unvaccinated with accelerant because we are moving – and with speed – because we are open.” The state has more than 700 Covid-positive patients in hospital, with 147 in intensive care and 100 on ventilators.

Queensland has had no locally acquired Covid cases for more than a week. But Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has still not given any details about when she plans to open the state’s borders. In a sign that action might be on the way, she tweeted on Wednesday: “We’ve done all we can to keep you safe – but this next step is up to you. We cannot protect you if you won’t protect yourself.” It takes five weeks from the first dose to be completely vaccinated, she said. And November 17 is getting “very close to Christmas”. It’s a sensible message and reinforces a call by state Health Minister Yvette D’Ath for Queenslanders to get the jab. More than 71 per cent have had one dose and 55 per cent are fully vaccinated. “This virus will go into every single community once Queensland opens up,” Ms D’Ath said. “The target is getting yourself protected in the next five to six weeks. That is your mission.” For the sake of Australians wanting to book holidays in Queensland, the hospitality industry and Queenslanders hoping to travel, they should make their intentions clear.