International Borders Must Not Remain Open While States Are Shut Down
MEDIA RELEASE
Australia’s international border should be closed to non-Australian citizens until Christmas to protect the nation from variants of COVID-19 which the government claims are more dangerous.
One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson said Prime Minister Scott Morrison should shut the international border or kiss his government goodbye.
“More than 1.67 million people have flooded into Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic while Australians themselves are virtually imprisoned in their own states and their own homes,” Senator Hanson said.
“It’s an appalling double standard. Australian workers and families can’t cross domestic borders yet thousands upon thousands of international workers and visitors have been given a free pass to cross the international border.”
Senator Hanson said the latest international visa and arrival data revealed the Morrison Government issued more than 20,000 visas in June this year, and more than 164,000 since April last year.
These included more than 46,000 work-related visas, more than 25,000 temporary visitor visas, almost 3000 student visas, more than 26,000 permanent family visas and more than 63,000 other permanent and temporary visas.
“While the Prime Minister keeps the international border open, premiers continue to slam shut state borders and put millions of people into lockdowns that are destroying jobs and businesses, breaking our economy and leaving a huge legacy of public debt,” Senator Hanson said.
“Scott Morrison may not be able to control state borders but he can shut the gate to the foreign arrivals who have been bringing COVID-19 to our shores, triggering outbreaks and lockdowns. The way this government is going, they face a bloodbath at the next election and we’ll be stuck with a Labor government which will spend even more and send the nation broke.
“We can’t continue with these lockdowns. Something has to give.”
