Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Hansard source

We have seen widely reported examples of hardship for residents in rural and regional border communities. Such impacts should be minimised wherever possible, and they can be minimised in a way that is COVID safe. Throughout this pandemic, when it comes to restrictions on people's freedoms, we have been guided by the medical advice. Decisions on border restrictions must continue to be informed by public health advice. Ultimately, these are matters for the states and territories. However, it is up to the states and territories to set out clearly the medical advice informing their decisions and to ensure that there's a genuine public health upside in return for the restrictions and costs imposed on individual Australians and on our communities—in particular, regional and rural communities across Australia.

There is no rule book on how best to deal with this crisis, but it is critical that decisions are made on the basis of advice from the medical experts and not based on political considerations. That is why the national cabinet has asked the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee to develop a consistent approach— (Time expired)