In case you missed this earlier,Federal Finance Minister Mathias Cormann has excoriated WA Premier Mark McGowan for persisting with a total border lockdown despite the state's Chief Health Officer telling a parliamentary committee it could open to most jurisdictions around the country.
The WA government has insisted its'hard border'policy was backed by health advice,but contradictory messages this week have undermined this claim and prompted accusations Mr McGowan is exploiting the policy as a political ploy to win support in the March state election.
Senator Cormann addressed the media alongside WA Opposition Leader Liza Harvey on Friday morning to demand the Premier explain the public health justification for preventing West Australians travelling to jurisdictions with no cases and zero community transmission of COVID-19.
He said the federal government had always supported"clear and strong measures to protect people's health".
"But as soon as there is no public health justification to infringe on people's freedoms,then those restrictions ought to be lifted,"he said.
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"In relation to South Australia,the Northern Territory,the ACT and Tasmania,there is no reason why Western Australians should be prevented from travelling to and from those jurisdictions freely,none whatsoever.
"I have never believed that was because of the health advice,I've never believed that.
"If zero active cases and zero locally-acquired community transmission is not good enough,what is? Just tell us. Tell us why you are preventing people in Western Australia from visiting their family or having loved ones from those jurisdictions come to visit them here?"
Senator Cormann rubbished comments made by Mr McGowan in WA Parliament this week that there would be COVID-19 deaths similar to those seen in Victoria if"the Liberal party has its way".
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