Late last year, the NSW Government lodged a plan to use one third of its 3,000 hotel quarantine places to import international students, with universities (read taxpayers) to pick up the cost of quarantine.
The plan was later abandoned after the state was hit with the New Year COVID outbreak, as well as backlash from stranded Australians.
Yesterday, The SMH reported that the NSW Government lodged a proposal with the Tasmanian Government to allow international students studying in NSW to quarantine in Tasmania, whereby the state government and universities would pick-up the cost. However, this proposal was rejected by Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein:
“The Tasmanian government confirms it has received an approach from the NSW government to quarantine international students on their behalf,” Mr Gutwein said in a statement.
“At this time, however, we have advised this is not under consideration”…
“I remain committed to finding a way to return this vital industry to NSW and will continue to work constructively with colleagues such as Mr Gutwein to find a solution,” [NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said].
I have some sympathy for the NSW Government given it has taken more than half of the nation’s international arrivals and managed quarantine outbreaks better than anywhere else.
Nevertheless, there remain tens of thousands of Australians stranded abroad waiting to return home. Therefore, giving priority access to international students is an obvious betrayal of the obligations of government.
Second, it is patently unfair to subsidise international students’ hotel quarantine costs when returning Australian citizens and permanent residents are required to pay $3,000 for their stays.
No quarantine places should be set aside for foreign nationals until every single Australian citizen and permanent resident stranded abroad has been repatriated. Nor should foreign nationals have their airfares or quarantine costs subsidised when actual Australians are being forced to wear the full costs.
Australian citizens and permanent residents must take priority.
