Border experiences ‘traumatic and tragic’, says senator

STATE lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in avoidable “traumatic and tragic” state border experiences that had yet to be resolved, according to The Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie.

Senator McKenzie, who visited Mildura this week, said she had seen first-hand in her home town of Wodonga concerns that extended along the Murray River to Mildura, where the restrictions had also raised the ire of Member for Mallee Anne Webster.

“We’re both from either end of the border … and during those border lockdowns of June-July last year we were both tagging on national TV and radio every single day about the impact (decisions) by premiers were having on our border communities,” Senator McKenzie said.

“(We were) calling on a nationally consistent approach to what was the definition of a hot spot and how you’re going to deal with it when that happens — how are we all going to deal with quarantine consistently?” she said.

“Yes, there have been incredible frustrations, quite traumatic and tragic lived experiences, particularly for border communities, but at the end of the day we’re going to have to get through this as one country.

“We still don’t have that.”

Senator McKenzie said the Federal Government had “stood up” during the pandemic, partnering with state governments to establish quarantine facilities at Mickleham in Victoria and Howard Springs in the Northern Territory.

“When we get through this, will we look back and say, ‘Do we need to change the way some of this works for the next time?’. Maybe!

“We’re doing everything we can at a federal level and I think the Prime Minister has been very clear that you don’t actually get through a pandemic by throwing stones at each other,” she said.

Dr Webster said National Cabinet outcomes that were measured and proportionate were needed to remove some of the politicisation of issues, including the definition of a hot spot and powers to lock down states, as opposed to blanket closures.

“The Federal Government’s power in this, if it has some, is around funding, but you can’t be in a situation where premiers say, ‘Oh well, the Federal Government will just pay another JobKeeper, another JobSeeker, and they will bail us out to the tune of billions of taxpayer money’,” she said.

“We can’t keep doing that — premiers need to actually take responsibility if they are going to lock down a state for what that really means to that state and every individual.

“At the moment I’m not seeing that and I don’t think there are many people in regional Australia who see that that’s actually taking place.”