Politics Which state/territory will be the next to reopen their borders?

[Vespa]

With the lockdowns easing nationwide, it's only a matter of time before the state/territory borders are reopened.

ACT, NSW and VIC have always left their borders open which leaves five states/territories with closed borders.

WA, SA, QLD, NT and TAS.

NSW premier has turned the heat up on those who have their borders closed, saying that now is the time to reopen the borders and get domestic travel around the country back in business.

She turned up the heat on QLD in particular on Sunday.

Which state/territory do you think will open their borders first and why?

 

[Fire]

I think states with no active cases, or cases which are all hospitalised, or have consistently no new cases, should open the boarders to each other. But its ok to keep them closed to everyone else.

SA WA and NT may as well open to each other, with QLD to follow soon. Vic and nsw are not under control yet, so I'd keep them out.

 

[Ned_Flanders]

Yeah I have no issue with states minimizing the spread

 

[Vespa]

Queensland government said this morning they won't be opening their borders until September at the earliest.

Good to see them not caving into pressure from the NSW government who want the QLD-NSW border to be opened now.

 

[Ok Boomer]

As good as it’s been to have a break from those over East, this situation isn’t sustainable. These Premiers will find some anger towards them if they are dragging their feet on this way into September, especially if they keep using non specific health advice as the excuse.

 

[Vespa]

As good as it’s been to have a break from those over East, this situation isn’t sustainable. These Premiers will find some anger towards them if they are dragging their feet on this way into September, especially if they keep using non specific health advice as the excuse.

WA could always try secede again and become it's own country.

SA have said they're not opening their borders anytime soon because they want to prevent a second wave occuring.

Smart move by the SA government who haven't put a foot wrong with how they've handled this pandemic.

The fact they're the only state with 0 active cases speaks for itself (ACT isn't a state).

 

[Ok Boomer]

WA could always try secede again and become it's own country.

SA have said they're not opening their borders anytime soon because they want to prevent a second wave occuring.

Smart move by the SA government who haven't put a foot wrong with how they've handled this pandemic.

The fact they're the only state with 0 active cases speaks for itself (ACT isn't a state).

It is far from a stone cold certainty that opening domestic borders in June would create a second wave. The state with the most transmission at the moment is also the state that still has the most restrictions on movement and gatherings. We cannot jump at shadows forever, and I am hopeful that more efficient and cheaper testing will eventually replace these crude lockdown measures.

 

[Vespa]

I've got a feeling it'll be the Northern Territory simply because ScoMo wants state and territory borders to reopen in order to increase domestic tourism and get $$ flowing through the economy.

All four states are going to hold their ground and keep their borders closed but the Northern Territory being a federal government controlled territory and not a state will have its borders open again sooner rather than later.

 

[Hornberger]

The WA-SA, SA-NT and NT-WA borders should be re-opening now. The TAS - WA/SA/NT borders should be re-opened by the end of May, assuming the current trend in Tasmania continues.

 

[Kwality]

The WA/NT border is being held up following the cluster in the Kimberley

Mystery transmission a warning against COVID-19 complacency

Despite extensive contact tracing, authorities have been unable to determine the origin of three of the Kimberley's 17 coronavirus cases.

www.abc.net.au

The internal WA border including the Pilbara & the Kimberley would probably come down before the NT open up.

 

[FruitTingles]

It's pretty dumb really as what impact has there been between NSW-Vic this whole time?

I think the states that don't mind keeping tens of thousands unemployed whilst getting good numbers in the opinion polls will keep their borders closed. If the fed take away Job Keeper/Seeker then they will spring into action.

 

[Kwality]

It's pretty dumb really as what impact has there been between NSW-Vic this whole time?

I think the states that don't mind keeping tens of thousands unemployed whilst getting good numbers in the opinion polls will keep their borders closed. If the fed take away Job Keeper/Seeker then they will spring into action.

The problem is the number of 'unknown source of infection' cases in NSW & Vic.
The reality is lockdown Sydney & Melbourne, open the rest, but thats not going to happen.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

The WA-SA, SA-NT and NT-WA borders should be re-opening now. The TAS - WA/SA/NT borders should be re-opened by the end of May, assuming the current trend in Tasmania continues.

There is little point Tasmania opening borders before October. Nobody visits over winter,, and the health system can't cope with even mild flu seasons. It can't even cope with normal summers. Why take any sort of risk, with winter being a big unknown but usually more likely to spread respiratory viruses, for precisely zero return? But I'm sure the Feral family will insist and so it will happen.

There are also zero flights (except footy specials) between Tasmania and any of the states you mention even at the best of times. There was some talk last year of Qantas (probably through Jetstar) beginning a Hobart-Adelaide link, but it would mean going through Melbourne for 80% of flights and Sydney for almost all the remainder.

 

[HairyO]

The problem is the number of 'unknown source of infection' cases in NSW & Vic.
The reality is lockdown Sydney & Melbourne, open the rest, but thats not going to happen.

NSW is having a couple of cases a day, and has done for a couple of weeks.

There is no medical or scientific reason behind the border closures.

Its a combination of being gutless and grandstanding at the same time. McGowan is a clown.

He seems like the little fat kid desperate for attention, picking a fight with anyone and everyone.

And his line about not even knowing who the deputy chief medical officer is just shows how out of his depth he is.

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Like Queensland, I don't think WA will look at it again until September, once winter has come and gone.

The question I keep asking is, how long is it sustainable for? At some point everyone has to open up and engage with each other again, it's not economically viable to hide under the bed.

 

[Hornberger]

Does anyone know what the constitutional argument would be against the inter-state travel ban? is it the non-discrimation clause in section 117 of the constitution?

Who would have standing to challenge the travel bans? Would any private individual be able to bring a case against the state governments, or would only the other state / federal governments have standing?

 

[Kwality]

Like Queensland, I don't think WA will look at it again until September, once winter has come and gone.

The question I keep asking is, how long is it sustainable for? At some point everyone has to open up and engage with each other again, it's not economically viable to hide under the bed.

Surely we can move to 'living with covid' sooner than that.

Both NSW & Vic seem to be developing the ability to deal with clusters & that should influence opinion.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Does anyone know what the constitutional argument would be against the inter-state travel ban? is it the non-discrimation clause in section 117 of the constitution?

Who would have standing to challenge the travel bans? Would any private individual be able to bring a case against the state governments, or would only the other state / federal governments have standing?

Disclaimer : not legally trained, so treat the below carefully.

S117 might cause issues if some states were to open their borders only to other states, or as in Queensland's case locals re-entering are under a different set of rules to interstate people. So long as everyone is treated the same (e.g. all must isolate on arrival) discrimination surely does not apply.
But if SA and NT, as exmaples, were to form a "bubble" that might run foul as people from other states could be seen as being discriminated against.

The more likely one is trade between states, partly S92. It probably wasn't written with tourism in mind, more hard goods and inparticular mentions customs and excise between states, but "free intercourse" includes people movement which is restricted.
However, that is true for other restrictions (fruit & vege bans being one example, provided it is for legtitimate quarantine purposes such as fruit fly or fireblight).
And even with people, I seem to recall reading that in one case in the early 20th century some HC justices did comment (though not relevant to the case at hand, which from I think was about people with criminal history moving interstate) that there may be circumstances such as pandemic where such closures to trade, including people, may be valid.

 

[Hornberger]

Disclaimer : not legally trained, so treat the below carefully.

S117 might cause issues if some states were to open their borders only to other states, or as in Queensland's case locals re-entering are under a different set of rules to interstate people. So long as everyone is treated the same (e.g. all must isolate on arrival) discrimination surely does not apply.
But if SA and NT, as exmaples, were to form a "bubble" that might run foul as people from other states could be seen as being discriminated against.

The more likely one is trade between states, partly S92. It probably wasn't written with tourism in mind, more hard goods and inparticular mentions customs and excise between states, but "free intercourse" includes people movement which is restricted.
However, that is true for other restrictions (fruit & vege bans being one example, provided it is for legtitimate quarantine purposes such as fruit fly or fireblight).
And even with people, I seem to recall reading that in one case in the early 20th century some HC justices did comment (though not relevant to the case at hand, which from I think was about people with criminal history moving interstate) that there may be circumstances such as pandemic where such closures to trade, including people, may be valid.

Also not legally trained.

I read section 117 a requiring a state to provide equal treatment to non-residents of that state as compared to residents of that state.

This would suggest that it would unlawful for Western Australia to allow residents of Western Australia to enter the state while banning residents of another state (or applying different conditions of entry).

However, it could be argued, that if the restrictions are based on where a person is located, and not where they are resident, then it would be lawful under section 117.
For example, the travel restrictions for a Western Australia in Victoria are the same as for a Victorian in Victoria.

It could also be argued that applying different restrictions to different states, if those restrictions are based on public health (e.g. mandatory quarintine for people traveling from State that has recorded community transmission in the last 28 days) would not be unlawful.

Section 92 and other sections in Chapter IV on constitution seems to primarily concerned with the movement of good, and not people, but it could be argued that the provision of services and interstate commerce generally are protected activites.

 

[MrWalker30]

Like Queensland, I don't think WA will look at it again until September, once winter has come and gone.

The question I keep asking is, how long is it sustainable for? At some point everyone has to open up and engage with each other again, it's not economically viable to hide under the bed.

the irony is those states have the warmest winters out side of the NT with populations spread out, so they would be the least effected state
the old failure of a power tripper Annastacia Palaszczuk wants to put her state through more misery a bit longer before she is booted at the next elections

 

[Kwality]

Does anyone know what the constitutional argument would be against the inter-state travel ban? is it the non-discrimation clause in section 117 of the constitution?

Who would have standing to challenge the travel bans? Would any private individual be able to bring a case against the state governments, or would only the other state / federal governments have standing?

Isnt Q Senator Hansen looking to have a go?

 

[Inferno]

I've got a feeling it'll be the Northern Territory simply because ScoMo wants state and territory borders to reopen in order to increase domestic tourism and get $$ flowing through the economy.

All four states are going to hold their ground and keep their borders closed but the Northern Territory being a federal government controlled territory and not a state will have its borders open again sooner rather than later.

Zero chance of that happening. The NT Govt have probably been the most vocal in ensuring the borders stay closed largely due to the fact that such a big proportion of the NT is remote communities where there's minimal infrastructure to deal with an outbreak. Even essential workers are finding it hard to get permission to go to remote communities, let alone opening up state borders.

If the Feds came in over the top and overruled the NT Govt there'd be an outcry up there, to the point that the CLP would quite possibly be reduced to 0 seats in the August election and the Territory Alliance became the main centre-right party. The flow on effect if that happens will be that it costs the Coalition their guaranteed NT Senate seat federally.

 

[masai]

NSW is having a couple of cases a day, and has done for a couple of weeks.

There is no medical or scientific reason behind the border closures.

Its a combination of being gutless and grandstanding at the same time. McGowan is a clown.

He seems like the little fat kid desperate for attention, picking a fight with anyone and everyone.

And his line about not even knowing who the deputy chief medical officer is just shows how out of his depth he is.

I notice that the NSW leader is getting agitated by the lip of the Bananabender & Sandgropers leaders. Obviously she is not use to getting cheeky banter thrown back at her.

Why is South Australia escaping her’s & the federal governments “advice” ?.

It is natural that people want everything now, but we have to be patient. One step at a time, things are slowly opening up.

As for tourism, the local people can discover their own state. There that is a simple way to get tourism kick started.

 

[HairyO]

I notice that the NSW leader is getting agitated by the lip of the Bananabender & Sandgropers leaders. Obviously she is not use to getting cheeky banter thrown back at her.

Why is South Australia escaping her’s & the federal governments “advice” ?.

It is natural that people want everything now, but we have to be patient. One step at a time, things are slowly opening up.

As for tourism, the local people can discover their own state. There that is a simple way to get tourism kick started.

So they should ignore medical and scientific advice ?

Labor seem to spend a lot of time attacking Liberals for doing that.

 

[Freo Big Fella]

So they should ignore medical and scientific advice ?

Statement from WA Chief Health Officer: COVID-19 restrictions in Western Australia

The implementation of border controls at both the international and state levels, along with public health, mass gathering and social distancing measures, has been highly effective in controlling the COVID-19 outbreak in Western Australia (WA).

ww2.health.wa.gov.au

Until community spread is eliminated in the affected jurisdictions, which will require at least a month to confirm (two 14-day incubation periods), opening of the interstate borders is not recommended. If the community spread is controlled, relaxation of the interstate borders could be considered after the introduction and assessment of the impact of Phase 4.

Dr Andrew Robertson
Chief Health Officer

Seems fairly straightforward.