Premiers quit agreed path out of coronavirus pandemic

The intensifying row between the Morrison government and the Qld, WA premiers could leave the nation split until well into next year.

 

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has cast new doubt on whether her state will follow the national road map out of the pandemic, declaring border restrictions won’t lift until children have been vaccinated.

Ms Palaszczuk’s comments came as West Australian Premier Mark McGowan warned he could keep borders with NSW and Victoria closed for months, accusing the commonwealth of trying to “infect the public” by pressuring states to lift the restrictions.

The intensifying row – after Attorney-General Michaelia Cash told The Australian that legal -arguments upholding the constitutionality of state border closures would weaken once Australia hit 80 per cent vaccination coverage – could leave the nation split until well into next year.

“Until I can get every child vaccinated, we will stand firm and we will stand strong (on border -closures),” Ms Palaszczuk said.

We must do everything possible to keep Queenslanders safe from Delta, especially our children. #covid19pic.twitter.com/1kAJuibkWr

— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) September 1, 2021

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews on Wednesday conceded his state would not be able to eradicate Covid-19, instead outlining a plan to ease restrictions starting on September 23, when 70 per cent of adults are expected to have received their first vaccination.

But further restrictions – including stay-at-home orders and curfews – may not be lifted until Victoria reaches 70 or 80 per cent full vaccination coverage, currently forecast for November.

“We have thrown everything at this, but it is now clear to us that we are not going to drive these numbers down; they’re instead going to increase,” Mr Andrews said.

West Australian Premier Mark McGowan hit back at federal Attorney-General Michaelia Cash. Picture: Jackson Flindell

“Now it’s up to us to make sure they don’t increase too fast and they don’t increase too much, relative to the number of people who are getting vaccinated.”

Victoria recorded 120 cases on Wednesday; NSW, where Premier Gladys Berejiklian will begin easing restrictions for fully vaccinated adults on September 13, recorded 1116 new Covid-19 infections.

Some 70 per cent of those cases – and all four of the deaths recorded on Wednesday – were from Sydney’s western and southwestern suburbs. There are now 917 people in NSW hospitals.

The growing number of Covid-19 case in NSW and Victoria has alarmed Mr McGowan and Ms Palaszczuk, who on Wednesday cast doubt on the Doherty Institute modelling that underpins national cabinet’s plan out of the pandemic.

That modelling recommends restrictions ease when 70 per cent of the adult population is vaccinated. Lockdowns would stop when vaccine coverage hit 80 per cent.

Ms Palaszczuk said the modelling had failed to take into account cases among children.

“It is a fundamental question that is omitted from any modelling,” she said. “It is omitted from any plan and every single Queenslanders must be included in that plan. I want to see a paper, I don’t want to see a slide show, I want to see detailed information.

“You open up this state and you let the virus in here and every child under 12 is vulnerable.”

Commonwealth officials have previously noted a lack of vaccination programs for children under 12 overseas, while public health academics say serious illnesses in this age group are rare.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian will begin easing restrictions for fully vaccinated adults on September 13. Picture: Christian Gilles

Mr McGowan reacted furiously to Senator Cash’s comment questioning the constitutionality of state border closures as vaccination rates rose. The hard border had the support of the community and his state’s businesses, Mr McGowan said.

“Why are they on this mission to bring Covid into Western Australia to infect our public, to ensure that we shut down parts of the economy, that we lose jobs, people get sick and some people die?” he added.

“Haven’t they seen what’s happening in NSW.”

While Senator Cash reaffirmed the government’s position was not to take court action against state border closures or jeopardise the four-step national plan, there were expectations billionaire Clive Palmer or others could make another attempt to overturn borders closures through the courts.

Despite outlining a path out of Covid-19 restrictions, Mr Andrews left open the possibility of keeping Victoria’s borders with NSW shut until next year.

In response to a question on whether the border could remain shut well into 2022, Mr ¬Andrews said: “Yep, and no one’s happy about that but again we’ll have many more options when we get to 80 per cent.”

Ms Berejiklian seized on Senator Cash’s legal analysis and said the commonwealth could look at stopping state border closures.

“I understand there are sections in the Australian Constitution which allow the commonwealth to look at those matters. I hope it does not come to that,” she told the Seven Network

Josh Frydenberg called on state leaders to stick to the national road map out of the pandemic.

“When it comes to kids, we’ve got to be very conscious of what the medical experts tell us about the impact on children … they found that the virus … was much less severe in children then it is an older cohorts,” the Treasurer said.

Just under 60 per cent of adults across the country have had one dose of the vaccine, while 35.7 per cent have had both.