There is a petition calling on the government to reverse the caps: e-petitions – Parliament of Australia
Looks like the petition now has around 1260 signatures. Dwarfed by the petition that requests the government "say NO to digital passports and ban Vaccine Passports/Certificates", which has almost 40,000 signatures.
TBH I think they have shot themselves in the foot by including too many things. If they had stuck to the two points you raise I suspect they would have got more support.Yes I saw that bit, but there is no way all the bits of the petition are going to be acted on. The main thrust - which is reinstating the caps and maybe home quarantine are the realistic outcome.
Yes I'm sure you are right that there aren't many overseas Aussies returning purely for holidays. I was just trying to illustrate the principle. Perhaps I should have used myself as an example. I'm planning on making an application for exemption to travel shortly. If I succeed I will be living with my parents in the UK whilst I am away. I'm not working at the moment and I have sufficient funds to stay away indefinitely if I choose. Do I think me having an Australian passport should mean I automatically take precedence over say a nurse on a temporary visa who has had to make an emergency trip home to care for his/her parents with Covid or attend their funeral? No, I don't.I agree with that, whether an Australian citizen or PR who is not currently residing in Australia, or any one who is non-citizen/non-PR but has a home and the right to live in Australia should have the right to return. Returning the caps to the previous levels would go a long way towards that.
But I've read these comments about overseas Aussies returning for "holidays" or multiple holidays a number of times on AFF. I suspect very few are returning just for holidays, so difficult getting flights, so expensive getting flights, and then there's the border closures and lockdown threat within Australia. There's a lot of bother for holidays.
I can virtually guarantee home quarantine for fully vaccinated people will come - probably with a tracking app on the phone, like South Korea. Canberra has successfully allowed over 2,000 people to home quarantine. Don’t know when - probably next year, although we can press for earlier.Given the roughly 1% breach rate PER DAY of people who are supposed to be in home quarantine - it makes arguing for home quarantine, unless with ankle bracelets & daily random checks, hard to support. Even then there would be those who either 'knew better' or 'didn't think I was infected'.
The one major hole/fault/issue with home quarantine per se is that it cannot be used in any multi-unit dwellings - so not unit blocks etc. Equally in shared accomodation with aging parents or disability impacted people - would you want to risk infecting them?
The cost to-date of just this Sydney lockdown would have been sufficient to fully fund building more than 6,000 bed dedicated quarantine facilities & their running costs for 3 years. This gem came from UNSW - who knew there are so many online free-to-use quantity surveyor type cost calculators?
As posted earlier having a tracking app on a phone is no deterent as 'cheating spouses' just leave the phone home or at their job and auto forward all calls to a 2nd mobile.I can virtually guarantee home quarantine for fully vaccinated people will come - probably with a tracking app on the phone, like South Korea. Canberra has successfully allowed over 2,000 people to home quarantine. Don’t know when - probably next year, although we can press for earlier.
Spot checks and massive fines if they aren’t thereAs posted earlier having a tracking app on a phone is no deterent as 'cheating spouses' just leave the phone home or at their job and auto forward all calls to a 2nd mobile.
Must be an ankle bracelet to cover the 2nd phone trick.
This is a good thought and I'd love to support it. But it's not how things works in Australia. Whoever is busted will plead ignorance or a tough upbringing and there will be sympathy if ACA agree.Yes some random visits.Doesn't have to be police.If the person meant to be in isolation is not there then severe penalties.I suggest what Taiwan did -$US 50000 fine plus possible 6 months in jail.Make sure the judgement is widely publicised and much less likely to occur again even if they use RAM's Information.
Still doesn't stop anyone having visitors while in home quarantine.As posted earlier having a tracking app on a phone is no deterent as 'cheating spouses' just leave the phone home or at their job and auto forward all calls to a 2nd mobile.
Must be an ankle bracelet to cover the 2nd phone trick.
Would rather they implement varying fines based on your net worth first, similar to some European countries, so those that do know better but can usually get away with the fines as they mean nothing to them, aren't as easily able to pay them off. A $2000 - $4000 fine for a regular person breaching the rules should be deterrent enough, but wouldn't be for someone moderately to very wealthy. However, allowing for the fine amount to increase with net worth would hit them just as severely as a $2000 - $4000 fine does to the common person. It could suddenly be $20,000+ or far more. For instance, the CEO who took his boat to QLD for the rugby probably didn't blink at his fine, but had it taken into account his net worth, it could have been a couple hundred thousand dollars, much more of a sting!Spot checks and massive fines if they aren’t there
Arrival caps are ultimately set by the Federal GovernmentWell, she didn't have to cut the numbers by 50%. Previously she didn't when other states did - as with any politician do not listen to what they say but watch what they do.
Ultimately....but that is being informed by the state premiers.Arrival caps are ultimately set by the Federal Government
Though some in HQ have managed to have visitors or grant themselves leave to party.Still doesn't stop anyone having visitors while in home quarantine.
Correct, which is why I am not expecting it until early 2022 at best.Still doesn't stop anyone having visitors while in home quarantine.
Exceptions can be made for essential workers. Otherwise it is only natural for the Australian government to prioritize Australian citizens, who elected them and to whom they ultimately answer.Yes I'm sure you are right that there aren't many overseas Aussies returning purely for holidays. I was just trying to illustrate the principle. Perhaps I should have used myself as an example. I'm planning on making an application for exemption to travel shortly. If I succeed I will be living with my parents in the UK whilst I am away. I'm not working at the moment and I have sufficient funds to stay away indefinitely if I choose. Do I think me having an Australian passport should mean I automatically take precedence over say a nurse on a temporary visa who has had to make an emergency trip home to care for his/her parents with Covid or attend their funeral? No, I don't.
SignedThere is a petition calling on the government to reverse the caps: e-petitions – Parliament of Australia
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