PM says it will be ‘weird’ international travel can begin before travel to and from WA

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says it will be “a bit weird” that east-coast Australians will be able to travel overseas before they are able to travel to Perth.

As Victoria and Tasmania join the 70 per cent fully vaccinated club on Thursday, a day after the national average peeped over the milestone, Mr Morrison said millions of people were now looking to overseas.

As of November 1, fully vaccinated Australians will be able to arrive into NSW without quarantining, paving the way for overseas family members to come home for Christmas.

But, families divided by WA Premier Mark McGowan’s hard border closure have no fixed date as to when they will be reunited, with some indication it could be Easter next year.

Mr Morrison told Sunrise he “did not believe” WA would keep itself closed to NSW and Victoria for that long.

“Let’s get people vaccinated, that’s what matters,” he said.

“That gives everybody the opportunity to take the steps forward under the National Plan.”

Mr Morrison went on to tell the Today program he hoped WA would follow Queensland’s lead.

“Queensland said it wasn’t opening before Christmas, (now) Queensland is opening before Christmas,” he said.

“Victorians, Tasmanians are keeping their side of the deal. The federal government is keeping ours, we’re opening up international borders.

“It’s important that all states around Australia reward those for getting vaccinated.... I know Australians, whether in WA or in Queensland have concerns about Covid.

“I get that, I understand that... Vaccination gives us the confidence to move forward.”

Mr Morrison also announced skilled migrant workers and international students could be able to return to the country from “late November to early December”.

“We have said on students in particular and skilled migrants, we will see what is happening in NSW next month,” Mr Morrison told Sunrise.

“We will start seeing that in late November, early December.

“On international visitors, we will see how Australians coming back first goes and I have no doubt that Victoria will start going down that path.”

Mr Morrison’s announcement comes as Melbourne residents spend their last day in lockdown before restrictions ease at 11.59pm Thursday.

Melbourne has had the longest cumulative lockdown in the world, and Mr Morrison hopes residents are never subjected to another lockdown.

“When we get to international borders … we need to keep opening consistently and taking steps every day so we can stay safely open,” he said.

“We don’t want to see what has happened in other parts of the world where people have moved too fast. We have done this scientifically.”