Coronavirus: Clive Palmer tests Mark McGowan WA closure in High Court

Businessman Clive Palmer has lodged a High Court challenge to the legality of Western Australia’s border closures.

Businessman Clive Palmer. Picture: AAP

Businessman Clive Palmer has lodged a High Court challenge to the legality of Western Australia’s border closures.

The former federal MP was ­denied entry to WA last week after he tried to visit for business meetings with Finance Minister Math­ias Cormann and potential 2021 state election candidates for his United Australia Party. He tweeted that closing the border was an “act of stupidity” and illegal under the Australian Constitution.

“Im (sic) confident the High Court will see it that way as well,” Mr Palmer tweeted.

“The WA Premier needs to act now to ensure a successful future beyond COVID-19 by opening his borders to allow trade and travel from Australian states into WA.”

Mr Palmer said he would challenge the border closure based on a section of the Constitution that stipulates trade between states must be free.

WA Premier Mark McGowan has dropped almost all the state’s remaining regional travel restrictions but remains adamant on keeping the state border closed and will hold on for now to bans on playgrounds and beauty salons.

The loosened internal boundaries will come into effect from Friday, ahead of the upcoming WA Day long weekend.

The government had been under pressure to act on the regional boundaries amid low levels of virus transmission in the state, with the northern parts of the state in particular keen to reopen ahead of the peak tourism season.

Only the Kimberley region in WA’s far north and a biosecurity zone straddling part of the eastern Pilbara and Goldfields region will remain closed off.

But West Australians will have to wait at least a few more days before they can enjoy the facilities and services already available in other Australian states. Public playgrounds and skate parks remain closed for now, along with museums and galleries, and nail parlours and beauty salons.

Mr McGowan said he expected the government would ease those restrictions, as well as a loosening of the 20-person customer limit across the state’s bars, restaurants and cafes, either late this week or this weekend. That easing is unlikely to come in time for tourism businesses in the state’s regions, meaning many businesses will not be able to take full advantage of the looming jump in intrastate travel.

Although WA has far lower rates of infection than the likes of NSW and Victoria, it has fallen ­behind the more populous states on lifting social restrictions.