Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I, and also on behalf of Senators Davey, Canavan, McDonald and McMahon, move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that regional border communities across Australia are home to hundreds of thousands of residents;

(b) acknowledges that border travel restrictions imposed by state and territory governments have negatively impacted the lives and livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of regional Australians who live and work across border communities;

(c) expresses concern for the health and welfare of those impacted by these restrictions within our border communities, particularly where restrictions prevent travel for:

  (i) medical/health purposes,

  (ii) accessing education,

  (iii) accessing employment, particularly in primary production, where the lack of a workforce is preventing primary producers, who feed the nation, from operating, and

  (iv) compassionate grounds; and

(d) urgently calls on state and territory governments to:

  (i) work together through National Cabinet to adopt a risk-based health approach based on clear definitions of COVID-19 hotspots,

  (ii) agree fair and proportionate protocols for essential travel within border communities for:

     (A) employment, particularly within the agricultural supply chain,

     (B) education, particularly for year 12 students,

     (C) health purposes, and

     (D) facilitating relocations, particularly for employment,

  (iii) agree and publish clear and accessible exemption regulations, which afford natural justice to applicants through an appeals process, and

  (iv) adequately resource state and territory services responsible for implementing restrictions and exemptions for border communities.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a very short statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Labor recognises that border communities face unique challenges during COVID-19. We also recognise that state and territory governments of all stripes are doing what's needed to protect their communities, based on the independent medical advice. We've consistently supported those actions and therefore will be opposing this motion, and it's alarming that government senators continue to undermine the supposed unity of the so-called 'national cabinet' with motions like this.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that motion No. 731 be agreed to.