Should the WA Border remain closed.

Clarky 1 · Senior Member

Should the WA Border remain closed.

iana · Guru

The elections spoke for the Premier, ousting all other parties. He still has my vote now if that answers your question.

boab · Senior Member

As a West Aussie i think the latest announcement has it about right the economy is strong unemployment is very low and we have very few restrictions i feel the majority of people here would endorse keeping the border closed for now

TheHeaths · Guru

I am disappointed they took this step, but certainly not surprised. Given the haphazard way the opening has taken place in SA, NT and the eastern States, I can understand him not wishing to drop all controls at once.

I see he mentioned getting to 80 or 90% booster dose, which I suggest will take until mid year, June or July, before opening.

I also see that the some in the WA AMA are saying it was a sad decision as despite what has happened east of WA, this appears to be an admission that short of vaccination, there has been no other planning to control the likely outcomes to opening. A fair comment I believe.

I have a few concerns regarding this decision not to open when planned.

Firstly, how will he now react to the next iteration of Covid? Is his idea to close the borders each time it mutates? There must be a better plan, as this illness seems destined to be with us for some time.

Secondly, when the WA border does reopen, as it surely will sometime, is he prepared for a further period of isolation for his residents, as those States that have already been through the peak, will likely close borders while WA works through an almost inevitable breakout? Anything else would cause issues for those Premiers!

Thirdly, I wonder about any long term effect on the federation. It is certainly ironic this has happened as we move towards Australia Day, and the almost clairvoyant Lamb ad about the country.

I dont know if it is a good decision Clarky1, although I expect many in WA will be pleased, but it certainly raises more issues I think than it clarifies!

-- Edited by TheHeaths on Friday 21st of January 2022 09:59:54 AM

Clarky 1 · Senior Member

Hi Ian,

Your views are as I would expect a lot of people to reply.

Because the WA premier went against the common decision which has been made by all our other leaders does not necessarily mean that there is not a political reason behind his announcement. His openly stated reasons are valid and in one interview, he did make mention of the problem in the other states.

By currently being in North Qld I am seeing on a day to day basis on the decline of local businesses since the opening.
Many shops have no stock or employees, some shops have closed. Hotels and restaurants have scaled back or at least closed off areas.
We, being those in my area, were at least part of a micro economy that in the majority was working. It is not that way now.

You raise excellent points and if I may add, the decisions for all of the people in every state to open is made only considering those in the capital cities.
In my view this is not fair to those in regional areas. Hasty decisions that arent well thought out but influenced by the loud voice of social media are not the way we should be making any policy.

iana · Guru

Yesterday my sister-in-law died from covid. She was in Vic. Her sons and daughters will never see her again, and they are in the same state. Really is life so unimportant?

deverall11 · Guru

There is a petition on F/B Marketplace calling for the border to remain closed. Given the poo easter states are in, my vote is with WA.
We are somewhat disappointed because we cannot visit the family in WA.
It is a suspicion of ours that this is a ruse by the WA premier to force the residents of WA to get fully vaccinated,
including the booster shot.
Cheers,
Larry

Bobdown · Guru

boab wrote:
As a West Aussie i think the latest announcement has it about right the economy is strong unemployment is very low and we have very few restrictions i feel the majority of people here would endorse keeping the border closed for now

With what happened in the Eastern States, I think it was inevitable that it was going to be pushed back. Why have it closed for 2 years and then open the floodgates.

Ivan 01 · Guru

Yes, keep it closed.

Just look at the mess the rest of us are in.

Policy on the run does not work, particularly while any decision is influenced by votes and wealth.

Well they have stuffed up on the wealth side of things at least in Qld.
No one goes out and shops hotels and restaurants are deserted.
Did someone mentioned hospitals and doctors surgerys

There will be a lot of absentee votes in the next election, no one is game to leave there house.

Wealth (or greed) before health is only short term.

What a mess.

-- Edited by Ivan 01 on Friday 21st of January 2022 01:55:26 PM

Mike Harding · Guru

It makes a mockery of the concept of a Commonwealth.

I now see no reason why states should not close borders or restrict trade at their whim. Australia may soon be like Europe was before the EU. It's not so much that I have an issue with this, I simply think we need to decide what kind of a nation or collection or nations we are and then act consistently.

Edit: stupid auto-correct.

-- Edited by Mike Harding on Friday 21st of January 2022 02:28:38 PM

DMaxer · Guru

The Constitution sets out what is exclusively Commonwealth matters and all else is State controlled Mike. Perhaps the problem is magnified due to the various premiers having zero confidence in Passion Fingers and his bungling mates ever getting anything right and so elect to go it alone. Who would blame them.

Ivan 01 · Guru

The mockery is there but with regard to Covid the mockery started when the Federal Govt did not have the gonads to actually govern the country.

What a terrific decision to handball Covid control to the states knowing it would become a political issue. Then stand around and encourage the bun fight and then show full support for the state that ran amok when all the others were handling the situation with caution.

Then the state of Amok lost its leader and she was replaced by the upstart from hell. ( he was similar to some replacement state health ministers, he was the only one that would take the job.)

Now the state of Amok was clearly controlled by a puppet who revelled in the the joy of having the hand up his back by the Feds.

Finally all but one of the other states succumbed to the pressure of Christmas, and the second year of not being able to spend the holidays with the kids in sunny Qld was nothing but a distant memory.
Yes the borders opened up and some states went from single figure Covid infections per month to thousands per day.

We have been so lucky that our leader, you know, the *Big Kahoona* comes on the Tele every morning and offers us all support and at the same times informs us that the states are in control of how they handle the crisis.
Hell , my mistake, it is not a crisis, it is something we have to live with so I was told once again only this morning.

The one they call the *Big Kahoona* has a dream on a daily basis the all the states have unlimited resources in the hospitals and most importantly have an unlimited supply of test kits. Actually I heard this morning that two companies in Qld are producing thousands of these kits per day. These according to the report are sent overseas. The *Big Kahoona* says the states have plenty apparently.

Any way, this is all unfolding at a rate that we dont appear to be able to handle but we are so fortunate that throughout all this chaos the *Big Kahoona* kept our international borders open ( even when they were shut) so as to maintain a regular and steady supply of Covid infected travellers jut to keep us all on our toes.

I think he thought that those he saw in uniform waiting for buses outside hospitals at the end of any shift were just bored medical staff out there having a smoke in the shade.

A genuinely closed international border to travellers would have provided the heath security we all deserve.

Long live WA. The state that closed the gate.

My very sincere apology to the OP Clarky and to any others I have offended.

-- Edited by Ivan 01 on Friday 21st of January 2022 03:48:23 PM

Bicyclecamper · Guru

They should remain closed until the virus is gone for good, which will be at least 5 years. Then their will be anther pandemic and they will close again. Even better if they succeed from Australia, the sooner the better, if will save all us eastern staters heaps in tax not to be looking after them financially.

Mike Harding · Guru

Hey Dmaxer: I had some milk go off in the fridge today... do you think it was Scott Morrison's fault?

DMaxer · Guru

Well Mike, if you asked him he would probably say "I don't milk a cow mate" and then go and ask Jenny who he could blame.

Bit hard to blame a bloke that just doesn't do anything. He was probably in Hawaii when you bought it anyway.

Mike Harding · Guru

But, Dmaxer, I was far more interested in whether *you* thought he was responsible for my milk going off as you certainly seem to think he is responsible for everything else.

A sense of perspective Dmaxer....

Wanda · Guru

DMaxer wrote:
Well Mike, if you asked him he would probably say "I don't milk a cow mate" and then go and ask Jenny who he could blame.
Bit hard to blame a bloke that just doesn't do anything. He was probably in Hawaii when you bought it anyway.

Oh so so so true, well said Dmaxer, bring on the election and lets get rid of this clown.

He is indefensible and an embarrassment to Australia

In all my years, I have never ever been to angry and disgusted with our so called leader

Enough said

Ian

-- Edited by Wanda on Friday 21st of January 2022 07:33:20 PM

boab · Senior Member

Not sure what sort of drugs bicyclecamper is on but for every dollar collected in wa they get less than 35cents back and even our fearless leader has said with iron ore royalties australia would be even more buggered if you want to slag off on a state pick another one

Clarky 1 · Senior Member

Gday Ivan,

No apology needed to me.
A funny post mate, You seem to have a grip on how things have panned out over the last couple of years.

It is good to see a bit of light hearted comment on this forum.

Keep it up biggrin biggrin

peter67 · Guru

boab wrote:
Not sure what sort of drugs bicyclecamper is on but for every dollar collected in wa they get less than 35cents back and even our fearless leader has said with iron ore royalties australia would be even more buggered if you want to slag off on a state pick another one

Quite right boab, I can only think that BC is pulling our legs, just like the Eastern State Premiers who hoovered up our massive GST contributions to prop up their state economies for years. Dominik Pair O tits? is now demanding millions from us for housing some WA inbound passengers last year, Mcgowan told him to get stuffed.

dorian · Guru

Tonga is an island nation. They have had one COVID infection. Until the volcano spoiled their party, they were doing OK. And that's a country that relies heavily on tourism.

86GTS · Guru

Getting back to the original question, if I was a resident of WA I'd like the the borders to remain closed.
While people the Eastern States have been suffering (and dying) for the past 2 years, they've had ''the other half of Australia'' to enjoy in relative Covid free conditions.
Naturally there will always be exceptions to the general rule.

DMaxer · Guru

In answer to your question Mike, ordinarily I would say no, he was not responsible. However, if your fridge door happened to be open at the same time that big mouthed clown was lying away on the television or radio, then my answer would be absolutely yes. The only time he has expressed his true inner feelings occurred at Maccas in Engadine a few years back.

deverall11 · Guru

Wanda wrote:
Oh so so so true, well said Dmaxer, bring on the election and lets get rid of this clown.
He is indefensible and an embarrassment to Australia
In all my years, I have never ever been to angry and disgusted with our so called leader
Enough said
Ian

-- Edited by Wanda on Friday 21st of January 2022 07:33:20 PM

Feel the same way. Never been so angry at such an obviously incompetent person in such a position. A leader he is NOT.

Let's clarify one thing here: it's not so much about which party to vote for at the next elections but more about getting rid

of this ignoramus, self serving, arrogant hypocritical ass. Happy to never see his stupid condescending smirk at press

future conferences.

Cheers,

Larry

TheHeaths · Guru

Unfortunately, I dont see any obvious, inspiring leaders elsewhere in the electoral cupboard.

Whatever happens at the election, I think we will be subjected to more of, at the very least, similar lack of inspiration.

Buzz Lightbulb · Guru

To answer the OP, yes, the border should stay closed.

Studies have shown that those countries that have elimination of COVID-19 policies not only have less deaths but also have better economic results. All the states should have closed their borders with NSW when their premier decided to let it rip. The NSW health minister said the everyone will get COVID-19. They should both be charged with murder.

Businesses are now saying that people are scared to go out, their staff are scared of catching COVID-19 and if any of the staff do catch COVID-19 then the business has to shut down.

The people in the states and territories that controlled COVID-19 appeared to go about their business as if SARS-CoV2 didn't exist until the PM and NSW let it rip.

DMaxer · Guru

I agree somewhat The Heaths. I think the inspirational leaders that are admired and respected by all sides of politics only come along once in each generation, if that. I do think there are some competent people however, especially among the female politicians and particularly on the cross bench.

I think in the past most of us just happily drifted along and as long as we had a job, somewhere to live and we were safe we didn't particularly care or want to know who the politicians were. That has all changed over the last two years and people, although independent in their own lives, want leadership and a sense of security that people who know what they are doing are looking after them and their families and the country. When things go wrong or the public feel threatened they want to know what is being done to fix things. People need to be confident that their representatives have answers and solutions, not stupid three word slogans delivered by a smirking clown.

Most people I have encountered are really angry, confused and somewhat frightened. The don't need JFK or Churchill, just competent people to address their issues and fears, something they don't have at the moment.

-- Edited by DMaxer on Saturday 22nd of January 2022 12:24:52 PM

Rob Driver · Guru

My view is leave it closed.

It is good to see that at least one of our states has a leader who has the courage to do what is right.

Bush walker · Veteran Member

Wa shoud definitely keep them shut. When the idiot here is SA opened up it actually shut down the state Christmas parties New yeat parties cancelled may small business forced to sut as all staff either had covid of were in home quarintine. over 60 people dead since opening up you can see anyone in aged care or visit people in hospital the health system is in meltdown and people go out as little as possible as covid is everwhere and the only information you can get is on social media as the state government stopped releasing exposure sites. In hindsight I should have gone to WA before the idiot here flooded us with covid. My origional plan was to have a family christmas and go to WA in the New Year, but my Christmas was ruined wih family isolating due to covid exposure

Tony Bev · Guru

In reply to the OP's question, my answer is, yes the WA border, should be kept closed

As my home base is in WA, I shall try and justify my answer, which would be the same answer, regardless of where my home base was

If I remember correctly, when all leaders decided to open borders after a certain % were vaccinated, this was before Omicrom

The way I read it, (so I could be wrong), the method behind the madness, was to open up the country, and enhance prosperity

Omicrom came, and people caught Omicrom, and they plus close contacts had to isolate
This produced a shortage of workers
It was then decided, to allow any who were not showing symptoms, to return to work, this probably spread more virus
My gut feelings, are that opening up the country, has not worked, for health or wealth

We now know that two jabs only give about 4% protection for Omicrom (on a tablet, so can not post links)
The booster jab, gives a lot more protection
From what I read, about 28% of the country, have had the booster jab

At this moment in time, there is nothing stopping me, from leaving WA
There is also nothing stopping me returning to WA, (I am booster jabbed)
But as I live more than 1,500 road kilometres from the SA/WA border, I will have to go to Government quarantine, at my expense

I feel that this is a small price to pay, to try and keep WA, healty and prosperous