the troubadour

God long vacated by the side door. Numerous issues in Australia to be deeply concerned about. Better or worse than Britain is hardly the issue. The issue being the decline in this country. Is it too late to remedy it?

paulry

Dare I ask what things specifically are there to be deeply concerned about in Australia?

Pollyana

You could start with the fact that we are virtually prisoners here........

Beoz

Virtually ..... if you want to leave for 3 months or more then you can get out.

The UK isn't making is very easy for its residents to leave and come back either.

Given the next wave is on its way in the UK its back to lockdown measures very soon.

Retirednow

Good. And it keeps the riff raff out!

abner

Wow, a "first-world problem" description of the situation if ever I saw one.

There are restrictions on outbound travel from Australia under current pandemic conditions, but there is also a set of exemptions (personal/family hardship, diplomatic, and business-related, e.g. aircrew, merchant marine) which allow outbound travel.

There are no doubt other novel and substantive personal issues generating a desire for outbound travel that aren't accommodated in those rules just yet.

But "virtual prisoners" seems rather strong, in describing the situation....

abner

And yes, I realise upon reviewing the thread at greater length, that you likely intended your post in a different way.

But "virtual prisoner" is rather dramatic even within that one, in portraying the realm of personal choices one has made in one's life. Perhaps the more appropriate term there is "personal prisoner".

Even late in life, you can release yourself from those bounds.

Retirednow

Blighty was beyond help a long time ago.

paulry

Dan Andrews is quite a concern. I mean, he'll be back his desk again soon won't he - after his unfortunate push fall?

Beoz

Those in the know will push this for very good reason. It won't do him any voter favours if he comes clean about the unions and baseball bats.

https://www.news.com.au/national/vic...46f6ad046f9b39

paulry

Oh I wouldn't be surprised if the truth is something very different to what he claims. Politics in Victoria seems to have very strong gangster elements to it.

Pollyana

Its actually incredibly difficult to get permission to go. There are several groups on facebook tryi9ng to help people to get an exemption and even people leaving permanently are having problems getting permission to go.
Two people I was chatting with overnight - one American/Aus dual citizen, leaving for good to the USA, sold her flat, car and most possessions, has a job to go to, fiance waiting for her, home to live in. She is about to put in her TENTH request to leave. The other, Aus PR, UK citizen, again leaving permanently, sold up, possessions ready to ship, job to go to, would be living with family, she has applied 25 times so far and is now trying to get her PR cancelled to see if that will help.

For someone like me who cannot afford to give up her job and just wants to visit her mum who is not strong and in her late 80s, its nigh on impossible. Same for a friend, ex-BE poster, couldn't visit his ad who was dying of cancer, could not attend the funeral, and with his mum and his wife's parents all sick and elderly its no fun for them these days.

However I can see that the old supportive BE spirit really is dead and gone, I amam remembering why I visit the forum so much less these days.

Beoz

I don't disagree. We should be able to leave at will and return at will even if that means a 2 week at your own expense hotel stay.

But the fact remains you can get out. I don't know anyone who has had any trouble leaving for more than 3 months and I know plenty of have done just that.

The problem is the more in hotel quarrentine the greater the chance of Covid leaks, and that bad for politics because the majority, the narrow minds, don't think beyond Australia. If it really was a health issue then we could go to be with loved ones.

I am on your side. We should be able to travel.

paulry

But now that Morrison puts it like that, I can see his dilemma (39 seconds in):

Beoz

Yep. This country has a choice. Is continual zero cases worth closed borders? Actually we can't even maintain zero cases with closed borders.