The pathway out of Covid-19 lockdowns, restrictions and border closures has reached a point that will shape Australia’s social and economic reopening.
There is now a powerful triumvirate, politically and practically backing the national cabinet’s plan for easing restrictions and reviving business: Scott Morrison as Prime Minister, Daniel Andrews, as the pre-eminent Labor government leader, and Gladys Berejiklian, the senior Liberal premier.
The Prime Minister and the Victorian and NSW premiers now have common ground on the way out of lockdowns and it involves the acceptance there can no longer be zero Covid cases in the community and that national vaccination thresholds of 70 and 80 per cent will allow the easing of restrictions.
With the threshold of 20 million vaccinations in reach, Morrison, Andrews and Berejiklian are all supporting the national plan for social and economic restrictions to be eased based on vaccination levels and that there will be Covid cases in the community.
In some way it is an unholy, at least unlikely, trinity with so many differences and pressure points in the relationships between Morrison, Andrews and Berejiklian, but they have common cause in wanting to fight the virus, revive the economy and strike a political and practical balance in living with Covid-19.
The three are now working together closely, careful of the ideological criticism or cheap shots that have gone before and aware of where the leaders of the two most populous and economically strongest states are fitting into the national interest.
Andrews’ gradual easing into his new position as Victoria faces a growing Delta variant outbreak and Berejiklian’s sometimes reluctant co-operation gives Morrison a new momentum and strength in the fight to get the parochial Labor states of Queensland and Western Australia to give way in the national interest.
On Tuesday and Wednesday night Morrison spoke to Berejiklian and Andrews, knowing Mark McGowan in WA and Anastasia Palaszczuk in Queensland were becoming increasingly isolated among the state and territory leaders as lockdown fatigue takes hold and anger rises over border closures.
After Andrews had spoken on Wednesday, Morrison told parliament the national plan was to get Australia beyond lockdowns, to go past restrictions and to “keep Australians in contact”.
McGowan and Palaszczuk are defiant on border closures but national momentum is building and the Queensland Premier’s decision to allow the wives and families of professional rugby league players to accompany them to Queensland while locking out residents is not going to help.
As for Anthony Albanese, the federal Labor leader now faces a choice between continuing to press Morrison over his opposition to the West Australian border closure or adopting the Victorian path to easing restrictions based on vaccinations.
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