How Australia’s politicians are dealing with social distancing

Federal MPs cancel trips and turn to technology, as they prepare for what could be one of the last sitting weeks ‘for some months’.

Labor MPs Julian Hill and Maria Vamvakinou used a teleconference for a committee for the first time in parliament's history. Picture: Supplied

WhatsApp groups, video calls and journalists phoning in questions to empty press conferences are set to be embraced by politicians, as the slashing of plane routes impedes the preparations for what could be one of the few sitting weeks held “for some months”.

Liberal MP Julian Leeser chaired a meeting of the Joint Standing Committee on Migration via teleconferencing technology on Thursday, after a planned two-day trip to WA to conduct interviews in Perth, Kalgoorlie and Katanning was reduced to a five-hour phone call with nine other MPs and senators.

Julian Leeser, who is part of a committee that is video conferencing for the first time in federal parliamentary history. Source: Supplied

He said while he felt committee members missed out on “some of the detail and nuance” of the interviews with local community members, “in the circumstances it’s the best we can do”.

“You miss something by not going into the towns and getting a sense of the atmosphere or the gestures in the town … (but) nobody has said anything against teleconferencing because we all recognise how difficult it is to get time in the diaries of parliamentarians.

“The virus could be some months.

“We have the teleconference, plus I’ve got a WhatsApp group communicating with the members of the committee, and then another WhatsApp group of the secretariat. It’s a combination.

Nationals MP Damian Drum. Picture: Supplied

Labor MP Steve Georganas. Picture: Supplied

“It’s just audio calls at the moment, but it may be that if this goes on for sometime we will look at video conferencing for these meetings,” Mr Leeser said.

On Thursday, Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese and opposition treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers held a press conference in Sydney via telephone link, with journalists told to “dial in” to ask questions “due to social distancing measures”.

The remote communication measures come as the government and opposition finalise arrangements for a scaled-back sitting week from Monday to pass critical coronavirus stimulus package legislation.

Labor have indicated they want an opportunity for question time, with 91 MPs and 54 senators expected to arrive at a Parliament House that will be closed to the public.

The Australian understands that securing travel arrangements for remote and West Australian MPs has become a headache for both sides as they select which politicians will travel to Canberra, with significant domestic air route suspension announced in recent days.

“We’re going to prioritise those MPs in remote locations (to not come),” a source close to Labor’s negotiations told The Australian, adding it was difficult to finalise a list of politicians as the emergence of new cases of coronavirus potentially forced some ministers into self isolation.

“(The sitting week) won’t be more than two days, we don’t expect it to go past Tuesday.”