Liberal MPs want ban on Australians heading overseas lifted within month – Sydney Morning Herald

Several Liberal MPs, including Victorians Katie Allen and Tim Wilson and NSW MPs Dave Sharma, Jason Falinski and Mr Zimmerman, have been agitating internally to reopen the international border sooner than planned for Australians vaccinated against COVID-19. They argue they should be able to self-isolate at home on their return, without states having to raise their hotel quarantine caps.

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Prime Minister Scott Morrison told Sky News Australia this week that the implementation of home quarantine and apps proving COVID-19 vaccination were what Australia needed for international travel to work.

To enable Australians to travel overseas again vaccinated Australians, for vaccinated Australians to come to Australia, for people to be able to move around then home quarantine needs to work, Mr Morrison said.

The QR code readers that the states have, they need to work to be able to show whether someone has been vaccinated or not. Were working with the states and territories to enable that.

Mr Sharma, the member for Wentworth, said he wanted Australians free to travel overseas once again without an exemption or permit, as soon as possible.

For fully vaccinated Australians, this should be when we reach an 80 per cent vaccination rate, in line with the national cabinet decision. This would be the restoration of a key personal freedom, he said

Dr Allen, who represents the Melbourne seat of Higgins, said lifting travel restrictions should be complemented with protocols including home-based quarantine and rapid antigen testing.

I look forward to hearing the results of the SA pilot about how effective it is, she said.

Mr Falinski argued that international restrictions should be lifted for each state when they hit the 70 per cent vaccination mark.

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There isnt someone who doesnt have a friend, family or someone they care about living overseas, he said.

Queensland MP Julian Simmonds said Australians wanted freedoms returned and national cabinet must return freedom to travel for those who have done the hard yards and been vaccinated.

But he said it was important that any agreement made by the states in national cabinet was adhered to.

In my state of Queensland it is clear Premier [Annastacia] Palaszczuk will say one thing in national cabinet and then move the goalposts if she thinks it benefits her politically, he said.

Victorian Labor MP Julian Hill said people were desperate to be reunited with family overseas, but the Morrison government would get no thanks when it finally lets people out of a lockdown prison.

There would be no travel bans now to lift if the Morrison government had ordered enough vaccines last year, Mr Hill said.

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Liberal MPs want ban on Australians heading overseas lifted within month - Sydney Morning Herald