Chief Minister Andrew Barr says the point around compassion and border closures has been well made this week and he expects there could be movement on opening up the ACT to other states in the next week.
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Mr Barr said it had been unfair to single out Queensland when the borders of South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia also remained closed to the ACT, where more than 60 days have passed since a positive coronavirus case has been detected.
"We've now had six months of living with COVID, and if there was this massive risk of Canberrans at Batemans Bay or even Canberrans going to Sydney and coming back - if that was going to be a rampant virus spreader, it would have happened multiple times," Mr Barr said.
"We do now have evidence and a lived experience. Doesn't mean it couldn't ever happen but the chances of it are seemingly pretty low now. It's no more risky for Queensland or for South Australia than letting someone in from somewhere else."
Mr Barr, in an interview with the Sunday Canberra Times, took aim at a conservative media and political pile-on which this week focused on Queensland's strict border restrictions.
Canberra woman Sarah Caisip was denied permission to attend her father's funeral in Queensland by the state's chief health officer because the ACT was still classed as a virus hotspot, despite having had no COVID-19 cases detected since July.
"No one's been talking about South Australia and Tasmania. You've got four jurisdictions, two Labor and two Liberal, that essentially have the same policies in place at the moment, in shutting themselves off from NSW, ACT and Victoria," Mr Barr said.
The start of caretaker mode this week saw the campaign for the ACT election begin officially, with corflutes and candidates now out in greater force.
Mr Barr said he felt free to continue advocating for the ACT and opening up borders where it was safe to do so.
"Where there would be some limitations without consultation with the other parties if we needed to make any dramatic changes to the ACT's situation. So, for example, I would not seek to close the ACT's without any consultation with others but our position has been very clear on that matter - it's an absolute last resort and it would be done on the basis of advice from the chief health officer," he said.
Mr Barr said he was confident there was support from the Liberal and Greens Parties in how the ACT had managed the COVID-19 pandemic, but he would consult with other party leaders before making any large changes.
"Under ACT Labor, we will deliver even more healthcare services at our nurse-led walk-in centres, taking pressure off our emergency departments and delivering free, accessible public healthcare across the city," Mr Barr said.
Jasper Lindell
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
