Liberal MPs back Tony Abbott’s critique of COVID-19 border policies

Government MPs have backed fromer prime minister Tony Abbott’s critique of border closures.

Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Picture: Getty Images

A number of government MPs are backing former prime minister Tony Abbott’s denunciation of border closures and long-term coronavirus restrictions.

The former prime minister told the Policy Exchange think tank in London overnight that Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews’ bid to extend emergency powers by six months was akin to a “health dictatorship” and that Australians needed to be given more freedoms.

While Liberals would not back Mr Abbott’s “health dictatorship” claims and his comments that some older patients should be allowed to “let nature take its course”, a group of MPs across the Liberal Party spectrum backed in elements of Mr Abbott’s warnings.

Former government senate leader Eric Abetz told The Australian that Mr Abbott’s speech should be listened to and was in line with Scott Morrison’s push for a national approach on borders and economic recovery.

“Mr Abbott’s approach to the pandemic is worthy of full consideration and appears to be in tune with the Prime Minister’s approach which is protection of both lives and livelihoods,” Senator Abetz said.

Mr Abbott’s London speech also accused the state premiers of acting like “trauma doctors’’ in dealing with the pandemic rather than assessing the whole impact of border closures and lockdowns, and addressing the costs to society.

The former prime minister – who led Australia from 2013 to 2015 – told an audience of British powerbrokers that Australia’s closed borders should be “liberated’’ soon but warned that if the restrictions went on too long it would be a “massive problem’’ for trade.

Queensland MP and registered doctor Andrew Laming backed Mr Abbott’s arguments on state and international borders, saying a lift in airline caps would boost a struggling economy.

“Abbott is right in certain contexts. I agree that there is no medical case for a daily cap on aeroplane arrivals. Removing that cap would provide a massive economic boon with no increase of risk to COVID,” he said on Tuesday.

“He’s also right on the interstate element. Queensland is quarantining people from the ACT and 80 per cent of NSW with no COVID, and that’s not happening to Queenslanders in reverse.”

Dr Laming did not agree with Mr Abbott’s views on Victoria and said he personally strongly supported the lockdowns in Melbourne.

Queensland senator Gerard Rennick also said he agreed with the central themes of Mr Abbott’s speech, which he had not read in full.

“We need proper protections for aged care and hospitals, but you don’t protect the sick by restricting the strong,” he said. “I can’t see that shutting down the economy is going to have the long-term benefits.”

Liberal NSW MP Jason Falinski told Sky News he agreed with Mr Abbott’s London comments that people should be allowed to take personal responsibility after six months of restrictions.

“I think he does actually (have a point) I think that there is a point about where governments are just basically just telling people, ‘for your own good you need to stay at home’ even when they’re in very low risk categories,” he said.