Page 1773 - Week 06 - Thursday, 30 July 2020
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COVID-19 crisis. I have been kept well informed of developments. It becomes easier to deal with the problem and contribute to the solution if you have information on your side. It shows that when the chips are down and when the government is truly open and transparent all angles of the political spectrum can work together towards a shared outcome. In that spirit of cooperation, the opposition is pleased to support the bill—with 16 minutes to spare.
MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong) (4.16): The ACT Greens will be supporting the bill before us today. In short, the Public Health Amendment Bill 2020 (No 2) establishes a power for the minister to determine a quarantine fee for overseas travellers who arrive in the ACT and face a requirement to undertake mandatory quarantine which has been in place since 19 March 2020 under the Public Health (Returned Travellers) Emergency Direction 2020 and subsequent extensions.
These, of course, are very unusual times. We live in a time where state borders are, for Australia, more than just a milestone for car trips and perhaps marking a place to stop for a coffee. Certainly not in my lifetime have we seen such scrutiny and restrictions placed on either our domestic or, for that matter, international travel.
As the Minister for Justice, I have recently held conversations with the ACT Human Rights Commission on matters of racism and discrimination. I remind our community to remember that viruses do not discriminate but people do. This is a truly global pandemic and we have a long way to go before we can find a new equilibrium that will support the free and unencumbered international travel that has helped shape our multicultural and diverse city. Until that time, there is a need to reduce the likelihood of new outbreaks of COVID-19.
As the bill sets out, and as we all know from watching the reporting, many cases of COVID-19 in Australia were acquired from overseas travel. Certainly, until the outbreak in Victoria that was the case. Mandated quarantine is therefore a reasonable and proportionate measure to maintain public health not only within the ACT but also throughout Australia.
The quarantine fee determination will be limited to recovery of costs incurred by the territory for the quarantine of individuals. Implementing a quarantine fee scheme gives effect to national cabinet’s decision that states and territories are to be responsible for introducing their own charging or recovery schemes for costs associated with the mandatory quarantine.
I note and appreciate that the new section 137(1B) requires the minister to take into account the individual’s personal circumstances, including financial hardship, when deciding whether to waive, defer or decide on an instalment plan. It is essential that people with a genuine need to travel to Australia—Australians and those with dual nationalities—are able to return home during these challenging times. Not everyone will have the means to be able to meet these payments, which is why the financial hardship provisions are an important safety net in this bill.
In closing, I reiterate that Canberra is a welcoming place and I encourage us all to remember the incredible benefits, both social and economic, that international travel
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