Leader of the Opposition, Lia Finocchiaro, says it’s foolish of the Chief Minister to continue
tinkering with a system that has, so far, kept the Northern Territory free of community
transmission.
“This morning it was revealed repatriation flights will soon be processed through Darwin’s
international airport, rather than RAAF Base Darwin – which has been the case since the
beginning of the global pandemic.
“Just like the takeover of Howard Springs from AUSMAT, the Chief Minister and Health
Minister are changing a simple, well-established process that has worked without incident
for well over 12 months.
“The last thing the Gunner Government should be doing is experimenting and altering
processes in the middle of this health emergency.
“Despite a promise from the Chief Minister that there would be no significant procedural
changes, since the Gunner Government forced AUSMAT out of Howard Springs we’ve seen
serious clinical changes, including the scrapping of rapid antigen testing – despite other
states looking to introduce this second level of protection – as well as changes to PPE at the
Howard Springs quarantine facility.
“Hot spots have been declared in Victoria and this afternoon the Chief Minister announced
additional testing requirements for repatriated Australians who arrive in the Territory from
interstate, yet Michael Gunner won’t commit to re-establishing manned border checkpoints.
“This is an anxious time for Territorians. We can’t afford to have inconsistent and
complicated decisions and messaging from the Gunner Government,” said Ms Finocchiaro.