Prime Minister Scott Morrison has welcomed Premier Peter Gutwein's decision to reopen Tasmania's borders sooner than originally planned, saying that keeping them closed "affects jobs".
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In an interview on Tasmanian radio station LAFM on Wednesday, Mr Morrison acknowledged that the Premier had been "watching ... health advice carefully".
"I welcome what Peter Gutwein has already done," he said.
In other news:
"People know my view that I'm keen to see Australia open up as safely, but also as quickly, as possible. Because that will obviously have an impact on jobs.
"That's not a criticism. But if you close borders, that affects jobs."
The Prime Minister went on to highlight the importance of Tasmania's tourism and hospitality sectors and said he hoped they would soon benefit from an influx of domestic tourists who might otherwise have been travelling overseas.
"At the moment, the states that will be benefiting from that are in places like New South Wales and South Australia and the ACT and so on," Mr Morrison said.
FEDERAL BUDGET:
"And ... as the other states open up, they will benefit, too.
"So I welcome what Peter has done. And I look forward to that continuing."
Last Friday, Mr Gutwein announced that Tasmania's borders would be reopening to "low-risk" jurisdictions from October 26. These are Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, the Northern Territory and the ACT.
The Premier has said it is possible the borders could open to New South Wales on that date, as well, but further considerations still had to be made.
What do you think? Send us a letter to the editor:
Rob Inglis
Rob Inglis is a reporter with The Examiner, covering state and federal politics. He is based in Hobart.
Rob Inglis is a reporter with The Examiner, covering state and federal politics. He is based in Hobart.
