Anne Webster (Mallee, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I want to talk today about the issues that are going on in my cross-border communities. We have adults who cannot go to work. We have children who cannot go to school. We have nurses who cannot go and care for the sick. We have businesses that are being crushed and decimated because of restrictions and lockdowns that are very difficult to justify. My regional electorate of Mallee is 82,000 square kilometres; it's over a third of the state. We have just four active cases in Mallee. This means that regional communities, the communities that I represent, across Mallee are being restrained unjustifiably and, effectively, punished—that's how they feel—by the restrictions that have been imposed on them. Basically, they're a buffer. We have become a buffer between Melbourne and the rest of Australia. This is untenable and it is impacting on the lives of individuals.

For example, there is Sally, who is down in Kaniva. She is suffering terminal cancer. South Australia will no longer allow her to have ongoing care there. Or there is 3½-year-old Josie, who also has cancer and who had surgery to remove part of her spine. She's in the position where she needs further surgery but is not permitted to have that surgery. She's not permitted to go across to South Australia, where she has been receiving ongoing treatment. Then we have Parker, who is seven years old and who had a heart transplant five years ago. He requires further surgery. (Time expired)

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