Coronavirus: Victorian MPs face quarantine to avoid risk in Canberra

Victorian politicians will need to quarantine for two weeks if they want to travel to Canberra to attend the upcoming parliamentary sitting.

Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: Gary Ramage

Victorian federal MPs will need to quarantine for two weeks if they want to travel to Canberra to attend the parliamentary sitting fortnight because they pose a “significant risk” to those living in the ACT.

Acting Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly has issued advice saying interstate travel from Victoria “also presents a risk to those who are themselves vulnerable, those at increased risk if infected with COVID-19”.

Parliament was due to reconvene this week but the sittings were cancelled due to a spike in coronavirus cases across Victoria.

A spokeswoman for ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the territory government was well prepared to deal with an influx of politicians needing to quarantine and had measures in place to ensure those in self-isolation didn’t mix with the community.

Politicians would be checked at least once a day by health staff and be subject to random police checks.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese, opposition industrial relations spokesman Tony Burke and opposition spokeswoman Katy Gallagher called on the Morrison government on Thursday to ensure MPs could still contribute to debate via videolink if they could not travel.

“Labor does not dispute the medical advice, but it clearly means many Victorian MPs, particularly those with caring or family responsibilities, will not be able to attend,” they said.

“The government must therefore ensure those MPs can still participate — and represent their constituents — by giving speeches, and asking and answering questions.”

Under Labor’s proposal those politicians that remain at home will not be given voting rights.

Labor sources said most Victorians among their ranks wanted to travel to Canberra but said travel co-ordination so far had been “messy”.

Under the medical advice, politicians will need to undergo COVID-19 testing on day 12 and will be required to receive a negative result before they could leave quarantine.