State borders are splitting the nation right now.....quite literally.
Pauline Hanson is up in arms and is backing a legal challenge to reopen domestic borders. She has enlisted a "top lawyer" and hopes to fundraise $1 million to cover the legal bills. Maybe the funds could just go to Queensland's tourism businesses she wants to support rather than an expensive legal team?
Clive Palmer is also looking to challenge the decision to bar him from Western Australia. WA has challenges from east and west, after Premier Mark McGowan announced that a live export ship that docked in Fremantle on Friday has postive cases. The ship is from the Middle East.
"This morning, seven crew members were tested for Covid-19," McGowan said. "Six have tested positive, all males, and are being moved off the ship to a Perth hotel for quarantine purposes. For the time being, the remaining 42 crew members, who I am advised are currently well, will remain on board the ship and will be monitored and undergo health assessments as required."
South Australia has also taken a tough stance on borders but confirmed it's first case since early May today. The positive case was a woman who had been overseas and quarantined in Victoria. She was allowed to enter SA early on compassionate grounds.
Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein would like the other state leaders to stop border "one-upmanship". He won't even consider opening borders until July. Tourism is big business for Tassie but he is playing the long game as he looks to get the state reopened to its residents first. The Ruby Princess hit Tassie hard so they won't want to make the same mistake.
The premiers are likely to dig their heels in further after news that two Sydney schools have been closed. NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said schools closing - as seen at Waverley College in Sydney's East which was evacuated when a school boy reportedly tested positively on Tuesday - would become normal throughout the pandemic.
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