Scott Morrison has laid down the law to state and territory leaders over how they run their borders.
The Australian Prime Minister is keen to get the country open again for business as we get closer to 80 per cent of the population aged over 16 vaccinated.
Each state and territory seems to have different reopening plans, with NSW appearing the most keen to get their citizens out of lockdown restrictions and return to life as 'normal'.
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But Mr Morrison wants to make sure that everywhere in Australia is open by the time Christmas rolls round.
"Once you get to 80 per cent of your population that is vaccinated, it's very clear, I can't see any reason why Australians should be kept from each other," the Prime Minister told Channel 7's Weekend Sunrise.
"There comes a time where you've got to honour the arrangement you've made with the Australian people and that is once you get to 80 per cent vaccination, it is very clear that you can start opening up.
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"I think that puts the big challenge on the premiers. I mean, they've had the power to do what they've been doing. They're not new powers. They've always had them.
"But, you know, there comes a time when you just got to move on and get on with it.
"My message is to Australians that what I'd like them to have for Christmas is their lives back."
NSW will reopen much of the state when they have 70 per cent of the population fully vaccinated, while Queensland said it might not open for Christmas.
The Sunshine State's Deputy Premier Steven Miles said they shouldn't have to march to the beat of the federal government's drum.
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"I've been out a lot in Queensland and talking to Queenslanders, and what they tell me is that Delta is the gift they do not want from Scott Morrison," Mr Miles said.
"He gave Delta to Sydney and now they're trying to gift it to us. We don't want that, we want to stay open like we are now and we'll continue to make our decisions on that basis."
The tricky situation is that some places in Australia have been operating as 'business as usual' for months because of their hardline approach to the pandemic. The only thing stopping them being fully back to normal is the borders being closed.
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But Scott Morrison believes it's a silly notion to try and keep Covid-19 numbers to zero because once the borders open up we will have to 'live' with coronavirus.
He's reminded leaders that the National Cabinet has come up with 'sensible, comment sense' measures that will help guide Australia into a post-pandemic atmosphere like QR code check-ins and vaccination passports.
The Prime Minister added: "You know, there comes a time when you've just got to move on and get on with it.
"What I'd like them to have for Christmas is their lives back, and that's within the gift of governments and that's a gift I'd like to see us give them."
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Victoria has set its sights on reopening much of the state when it hits 80 per cent of the population being fully vaccinated, while Western Australia's Premier, Mark McGowan, warned their hard border with the rest of the country could stay in place until April next year.
Featured Image Credit: Rod Lamkey/CNP Photo via Credit: Newscom/Alamy Live NewsTopics: Australia