Leigh Sales has quizzed Prime Minister Scott Morrison about the “inconsistency” in Australia’s lockdown laws amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Morrison appeared on ABC’s 7.30 on Thursday night, where he faced questions from Sales on Australia’s progress fighting the coronavirus and when we can expect social distancing laws to be relaxed.
Sales asked Morrison if he accepted there had been “inconsistency in the restrictions that people find annoying”.
“Why can’t I sit in a park by myself and read a book, but I can go on a bus with other people?” she queried.
Scott Morrison has “no plans” to change Australia’s restrictions for four weeks. Post continues below video.
Morrison said it had been tough to get the messaging consistent across all states, given how large this crisis has become and how quickly it has moved.
“Look, on a practical level on the ground and the way the states are implementing these issues, of course it’s difficult,” he said.
“We are in unprecedented, uncharted times. I think people have been very understanding of these issues. And I think everyone’s working to try and get these issues as consistent as they can. And that’s why when we get that co-operation, when we can get co-operation on this tracing app when it comes out, then I know a lot of these issues will move away because we’ve got the tools in place to be able to track these things down very quickly and respond.”
He said there would need to be “give and take” with the Australian public before we could enjoy “a less restrictive environment”.
Sales asked if authorities worried about ‘rebelling’ from younger Australians, who she stated were bearing the hardest burden of the economic shutdown but are not the ones who are at the most serious health risk.
“I don’t think they would consider the death of any Australian would be an unreasonable burden to carry for the sake of another one of their fellow Australians,” Morrison said.
He said the current restrictions were “a social contract”.
“I think there’s a social license here with governments about how these arrangements are put in place. And I can assure you no one wants these restrictions in any longer than they have to be.”
Sales asked whether keeping lockdown measures for over 60s and those with underlying health issues while returning the rest of society to “a sort of normal existence” would be possible, as floated by some business leaders and experts.
Morrison said he was solely focused on health advice from the experts.
“We want your viewers to know that on the other side, we get out of this and we return to a life that we are missing at the moment.
“We will get it again, but we’re going to have to work hard for it in these months ahead and on the other side we’re going to need policies that ensure our economy can grow quickly again and we can get back to those living standards that we’re currently missing.”
Earlier on Thursday afternoon, the Prime Minister noted that while plans are being made to ease restrictions, the current social distancing measures will stay in place for at least the next four weeks.
He outlined the three things Australia needs to get in place to move towards the easing of restrictions: a more extensive testing regime, an even greater tracing capability, and increased localised lockdown ability.
For more on COVID-19:
- What you need to know about COVID-19 today, Friday April 17.
- The 3 things the Government needs to see before COVID-19 restrictions can be lifted.
- No plans to reduce restrictions for 4 weeks: The key points from Scott Morrison’s press conference.
To protect yourself and the community from COVID-19, remain in your home unless strictly necessary, keep at least 1.5 metres away from other people, regularly wash your hands and avoid touching your face.
If you are sick and believe you have symptoms of COVID-19, call your GP ahead of time to book an appointment. Or call the national Coronavirus Health Information Line for advice on 1800 020 080. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 000.
To keep up to date with the latest information, please visit the Department of Health website.
Feature images: ABC.
Top Comments
I've been a goody-two-shoes my entire life and the irrational rules are difficult to follow and demotivate me to follow the others. I do, because I'm a goody-two-shoes, but I feel resentment, disrespect, and distrust bubbling inside me towards my Premier, Daniel Andrews. I understand I can't socialise and that I need to stay in my area to help with tracking. I don't understand why I can't go for a drive, have a picnic in a nearby park with my husband, or eat in my car.
'“Why can’t I sit in a park by myself and read a book, but I can go on a bus with other people?” she queried.'
MORRISON DIDN'T ANSWER THE QUESTION, INSTEAD OFFERED:
'And that’s why when we get that co-operation, when we can get co-operation on this tracing app when it comes out, then I know a lot of these issues will move away because we’ve got the tools in place to be able to track these things down very quickly and respond.”'
BACK in 2009 when the swine flu was being heralded as a health crisis of epic, nay, pandemic proportions to the tune of 22 million cases BUT NO SHUT DOWN WAS IN ORDER THEN [AND WHO WAS PRESIDING OVER THINGS THEN????]
An excerpt of an interview with Sharyl Attkinsson, formerly an investigative correspondent in the Washington bureau for CBS News, who broke the sham pandemic:
"The implications of the story were even worse than that. We discovered through our FOI efforts that before the CDC mysteriously stopped counting Swine Flu cases, they had learned that almost none of the cases they had counted as Swine Flu was, in fact, Swine Flu or any sort of flu at all! The interest in the story from one [CBS] executive was very enthusiastic. He said it was "the most original story" he'd seen on the whole Swine Flu epidemic. But others pushed to stop it [after it was published on the CBS News website] and, in the end, no [CBS television news] broadcast wanted to touch it. We aired numerous stories pumping up the idea of an epidemic, but not the one that would shed original, new light on all the hype. It was fair, accurate, legally approved and a heck of a story. With the CDC keeping the true Swine Flu stats secret, it meant that many in the public took and gave their children an experimental vaccine that may not have been necessary."
it's all pretty insane, that alone arouses suspicion.
COVID-19...The Rules:
1. Basically, you can't leave the house for any reason, but if you have to, then you can.
2. Masks are useless, but maybe you have to wear one, it can save you, it is useless, but maybe it is mandatory as well.
3. Stores are closed, except those that are open.
4. You should not go to hospitals unless you have to go there. Same applies to doctors, you should only go there in case of emergency, provided you are not too sick.
5. This virus is deadly but still not too scary, except that sometimes it actually leads to a global disaster.
6. Gloves won't help, but they can still help.
7. Everyone needs to stay HOME, but it's important to GO OUT.
8. There is no shortage of groceries in the supermarket, but there are many things missing when you go there in the evening, but not in the morning. Sometimes.
9. The virus has no effect on children except those it affects.
10. Animals are not affected, but there is still a cat that tested positive in Belgium in February when no one had been tested, plus a few tigers here and there…
11. You will have many symptoms when you are sick, but you can also get sick without symptoms, have symptoms without being sick, or be contagious without having symptoms. Oh, my God.
12. In order not to get sick, you have to eat well and exercise, but eat whatever you have on hand and it's better not to go out, well, but no…
13. It's better to get some fresh air, but you get looked at very wrong when you get some fresh air, and most importantly, you don't go to parks or walk. But don’t sit down, except that you can do that now if you are old, but not for too long or if you are pregnant (but not too old).
14. You can't go to retirement homes, but you have to take care of the elderly and bring food and medication.
15. If you are sick, you can't go out, but you can go to the pharmacy.
16. You can get restaurant food delivered to the house, which may have been prepared by people who didn't wear masks or gloves. But you have to have your groceries decontaminated outside for 3 hours. Pizza too?
17. Every disturbing article or disturbing interview starts with " I don't want to trigger panic, but…"
18. You can't see your older mother or grandmother, but you can take a taxi and meet an older taxi driver.
19. You can walk around with a friend but not with your family if they don't live under the same roof.
20. You are safe if you maintain the appropriate social distance, but you can’t go out with friends or strangers at the safe social distance.
21. The virus remains active on different surfaces for two hours, no, four, no, six, no, we didn't say hours, maybe days? But it takes a damp environment. Oh no, not necessarily.
22. The virus stays in the air - well no, or yes, maybe, especially in a closed room, in one hour a sick person can infect ten, so if it falls, all our children were already infected at school before it was closed. But remember, if you stay at the recommended social distance, however in certain circumstances you should maintain a greater distance, which, studies show, the virus can travel further, maybe.
23. We count the number of deaths but we don't know how many people are infected as we have only tested so far those who were "almost dead" to find out if that's what they will die of…
24. We have no treatment, except that there may be one that apparently is not dangerous unless you take too much (which is the case with all medications). Orange man bad.
25. We should stay locked up until the virus disappears, but it will only disappear if we achieve collective immunity, so when it circulates… but we must no longer be locked up for that?
also the schrödinger's virus meme :)
Oh I know it is very serious but you did put a smile on my face...AND I can’t travel to my holiday house, not getting out of my car once, to check it and remain in it like I remain in my main home cos I live in NSW but I could if I lived in Vic. Nothing adds up.