Coronavirus Australia: Rogue QLD and WA premiers threaten to derail plan to end lockdowns

Bullish premiers are threatening to thwart Australia’s attempts to end relentless Covid lockdowns and border closures, backtracking on promises to follow the government’s agreed path to a new Covid-normal.

Annastacia Palaszczuk has hinted at a plan to rebel against the federal government’s calls, agreed in National Cabinet, to reopen state borders when vaccination targets are reached.

The Queensland Premier insisted reopening her state would leave ‘every child under 12 vulnerable’, despite the vast majority of kids being barely affected by the virus.

Her Western Australia counterpart Mark McGowan also warned he would keep the border shut to New South Wales and Victoria, regardless of vaccination rates, accusing the government of ‘trying to infect the public’. 

It came as Scott Morrison’s Liberal government issued an extraordinary ultimatum to crusading premiers on the path to Covid-zero, telling them they ‘must reopen’ borders by Christmas once vaccination rates hit 80 per cent.

Ms Palaszczuk has kept a hard border with NSW, not even allowing Queensland residents to return home for fear of spiralling Covid cases (pictured, police stop cars in Coolangatta at the Queensland border)

Poll

SHOULD ALL STATES AND TERRITORIES OPEN THEIR BORDERS WHEN 80% ARE DOUBLE JABBED?

  • Yes 367 votes
  • No 127 votes

Modelling by the Doherty Institute for National Cabinet outlines that restrictions can start to be eased once jab rates hit 70 per cent of the population over 16, with children not included in the targets.

All states premiers originally agreed to follow the roadmap to freedom, vowing to do away with border closures and lockdowns when the report was finalised at the end of July.

However the Queensland and Western Australian governments have threatened to renege on the plan as coronavirus cases in in New South Wales, the ACT and Victoria.

As the row intensifies, Ms Palazczuk exploded at her political opponents in parliament on Wednesday after being sarcastically asked whether the Sunshine State would continue its hard border policy even when ‘until 100 per cent of the population is vaccinated’.

‘You open up this state and you let the virus in here, every child under 12 is vulnerable, every single child,’ thundered the Labor leader in a fear-mongering speech.

‘Anyone who has a child under 12 to zero is vulnerable because they are the unvaccinated.’

Ms Palaszczuk said children must be included in the modelling before agreeing to open up.

State premiers originally agreed to follow the Doherty Institute roadmap to freedom but the Queensland and Western Australian governments have threatened to renege on the plan (pictured, a Brisbane shopper)

State premiers originally agreed to follow the Doherty Institute roadmap to freedom but the Queensland and Western Australian governments have threatened to renege on the plan (pictured, a Brisbane shopper)

'You open up this state and you let the virus in here, every child under 12 is vulnerable, every single child,' thundered Ms Palaszczuk in state parliament on Wednesday

‘You open up this state and you let the virus in here, every child under 12 is vulnerable, every single child,’ thundered Ms Palaszczuk in state parliament on Wednesday

Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) has grown increasingly frustrated with the rogue premiers and his government has issued an ultimatum

Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) has grown increasingly frustrated with the rogue premiers and his government has issued an ultimatum 

COVID AND KIDS: THE FACTS 

Based on studies by University College London, 251 UK children were admitted to ICU for Covid between March 2020 and February 2021 

There is a 1 in 50,000 chance of a child being admitted to ICU after catching the virus

25 children died as a result of Covid in the first year of the pandemic in the UK

There is a 2 in 1,000,000 risk of death from Covid-19 in children

Source: UCL 

‘Every single Queenslander 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,’ she said. 

Mr McGowan also indicated he wants borders kept shut until case numbers are low and vaccination rates are at least 80 per cent, including children under 12. 

Number-crunchers at the Doherty Institute have maintained the risk to children will remain low once most of the adult population receive the jab.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation last month also approved the Pfizer vaccine for children aged 12-15, with young people set to be prioritised in coming weeks. 

Worldwide, most children who become infected with Covid show no symptoms, according to studies at Harvard University, and those who do have much milder symptoms than adults including low-grade fever and a cough.

Deaths from Covid are incredibly rare among children.

In the US, which has suffered the most cases and deaths of any country in the world, currently around 640,000, 385 victims have been aged under 17.

Mark McGowan has accused the federal government of 'trying to infect the public' by pushing for a reopening (pictured, Perth during a previous snap lockdown)

Mark McGowan has accused the federal government of ‘trying to infect the public’ by pushing for a reopening (pictured, Perth during a previous snap lockdown)

The UK saw 25 deaths from Covid in those aged under 18 in the first year of the pandemic, with those with multiple chronic illnesses and neuro-disabilities the most at risk. 

With the Queensland premier now raising children’s wellbeing as a reason to keep borders closed, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has become increasingly frustrated with state leaders refusing to tow the line of the national reopening plan.

He warned premiers ‘Australians will suffer’ and the economy will falter if they don’t fall in line.

‘If we don’t stick to the national plan, businesses will close. If we don’t stick to the national plan, jobs will be lost,’ he said.

‘If we don’t stick to the national plan, our debt burden will increase. If we don’t stick to the national plan, the wellbeing of Australians will suffer.

‘We need to vaccinate people but we need to open up safely in accordance with that plan at 70 to 80 per cent.’ 

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg (pictured) has become increasingly frustrated with state leaders refusing to tow the line of the national reopening plan

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg (pictured) has become increasingly frustrated with state leaders refusing to tow the line of the national reopening plan

The Treasurer said premiers have ‘no excuse’ to shut off their states from the rest of the country once vaccination targets are reached ahead of Christmas, insisting ‘Australia must open up as one’.

He’s has also threatened to cut off federal government-funded Covid support payments if they refuse to follow the national plan.

‘There should be no expectation that the federal economic support that we are providing right now can continue that way,’ he told Sunrise on Monday.

‘You could have the ridiculous situation where somebody in NSW could travel to Canada before they could go to Cairns or somebody in Victoria could travel to Singapore and Bali before they could go to Perth. That would be ridiculous.

‘That is why it is so important that the agreed national plan is adhered to by the states and the territories.’

NSW leader Gladys Berejiklian on Wednesday also urged premiers in other states to learn to live with the virus and commit to opening up.

Sydneysiders have been rolling up their sleeves to get vaccinated and pull NSW out of lockdown (pictured, family getting jabbed at Macquarie Fields)

Sydneysiders have been rolling up their sleeves to get vaccinated and pull NSW out of lockdown (pictured, family getting jabbed at Macquarie Fields) 

NSW leader Gladys Berejiklian (pictured) on Wednesday also urged premiers in other states to learn to live with the virus and commit to opening up

NSW leader Gladys Berejiklian (pictured) on Wednesday also urged premiers in other states to learn to live with the virus and commit to opening up

‘It’s impossible to eliminate the Delta strain,’ she said.

‘New South Wales had proved successful until this point in terms of getting rid of other strains of Covid.

‘The Delta strain is a game changer and every state in Australia sooner or later is going to have to live with Delta’.

‘That’s why I’m calling on all my colleagues … to stick to the national plan, to make sure we give our citizens not only the freedoms they deserve but also learn to live with Covid as soon as we can.’

Ms Palaszczuk has kept a hard border with NSW, not even allowing Queensland residents to return home for fear of spiralling Covid cases, something she has since u-turned on.

She indicated the border will remain closed until Ms Berejiklian can get the number of infections under control.

Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan (pictured) has also suggested its draconian border restrictions will remain in place until case numbers in NSW and Victoria are under control and vaccination rates are at least 80 percent, including those aged under 12

Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan (pictured) has also suggested its draconian border restrictions will remain in place until case numbers in NSW and Victoria are under control and vaccination rates are at least 80 percent, including those aged under 12

Covid border closures have ripped families apart and even locked people out of their home states (pictured, a border crossing in Perth)

Covid border closures have ripped families apart and even locked people out of their home states (pictured, a border crossing in Perth) 

Mr McGowan was outraged by his NSW counterpart’s comments, calling the state ‘incompetent and a ‘basket case’ as it continues to rack up over 1000 cases of Covid cases each day.

‘NSW is a basket case economy at the moment because of the failures of the NSW government,’ Mr McGowan said.

‘There has never been a more incompetent government than the NSW government. They learned of the outbreak in June and they did nothing significant about it.

‘And now they have economic catastrophe, they have people dying, they have hospitals filling up and they’re trying to give us advice?’

Mr McGowan added that WA has been ‘carrying the national economy’ because its resource rich mining sector has remained protected from the Delta strain.

Protests have popped up across Australia as citizens become increasingly frustrated with the gruelling lockdowns (pictured, protesters speak to police at Parliament House in Brisbane)

Protests have popped up across Australia as citizens become increasingly frustrated with the gruelling lockdowns (pictured, protesters speak to police at Parliament House in Brisbane) 

But in an open letter, 80 of Australia’s top business leaders urged state governments to present a ‘clear path out of the current lockdowns’.

They called on premiers across the country to ‘stay the course’ on the national roadmap set out by the Doherty Institute so residents and businesses can plan for life after the pandemic.

CEO of Business Council of Australia, Jennifer Westacott said the nation must have a ‘careful, gradual reopening’ based on health advice.

‘We’re asking for a simple reason: we need to plan; whether you’re a family that needs to plan to see your loved ones, whether you’re small business that needs to stock up or whether you’re a big business that’s got a project going.

‘Our point is very clear: we need a light at the end of the tunnel because you’re starting the see the strain on people as this goes on and on.’

In an open letter, 80 of Australia's top business leaders urged state governments to present a 'clear path out of the current lockdowns'

In an open letter, 80 of Australia’s top business leaders urged state governments to present a ‘clear path out of the current lockdowns’

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