Australia’s international border will stay shut until at least 2022 as the federal government continues its Covid-19 suppression strategy for economic recovery.
The “tragic” events in India are a reminder of the threat still posed by the virus and there will be an assumption in this week’s budget of borders opening next year, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg told the ABC.
“We don’t move ahead of the health advice, we’ve got to ensure that our communities stay safe, and when we suppress the virus as we’ve successfully done, our economy recovers,” he said.
Despite criticism that “the sky would fall in” when the JobKeeper incentive wound up, Frydenberg said the economic signs were encouraging.
“We haven’t seen that cliff that some people were predicting,” he said.
His comments come as Anglicare Australia says many renters are becoming homeless as a result of eviction moratoriums and rent deferrals coming to an end.
A survey of 10 of the charity’s member agencies shows that many people still need the rental relief measures that carried them through the pandemic.
All members told Anglicare they had clients needing help with rental arrears and that their debts range from between $539 and $21,562 NZD.
While in most parts of the country eviction moratoriums and rental arrears have ended, many renters have also had their JobSeeker payments cut, Anglicare executive director Kasy Chambers says.
“This is a perfect storm,” she said.
“People are turning to homelessness services to keep a roof over their head. Many are also going to payday lenders. That will only lead to more hardship and debt.”
She called for the government to take action in next week’s budget by lifting JobSeeker and other payments.
Meanwhile in India, an Australian permanent resident has died after contracting Covid-19 prompting accusations from the man’s family that he was abandoned.
Grieving Sydney woman Sonali Ralhan has accused the federal government of ignoring her pleas to bring her father home.
The 59-year-old died on Wednesday, days after Australia banned flights from India and announced fines of up to $71,801, five years prison or both for anyone who attempted to return home before May 15.
In an open letter to Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Facebook, Ralhan, an Australian citizen, said she contacted embassy officials in India a few weeks ago with “great hopes” they would help her parents, – long-term residents of Australia – get home safely.
She said her pleas for help were ignored and instead of real assistance, consular officials called her mother periodically to “note down her distressed condition”.
A handful of Australian rescue flights from India are being organised as officials bolster infections controls at the Northern Territory’s Howard Springs quarantine facility to prepare.
The first into Darwin will arrive on May 15, 23 and 31. Three more are being looked at to land in other states.
