With Australia’s borders unlikely to re-open until mid-2022, senior government ministers are standing by the decision to keep our borders closed, despite internal party backlash.
Some MPs have expressed concerns Australia will become a “hermit nation” the longer we remain closed.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says the Government will continue to be led by medical advice, but what will extended border closures mean for the country’s productivity?
Despite the economy showing strong signs of recovery, the budget papers forecast a decade of deficits and debt, set to peak at almost $1 trillion in 2025. Will Australia ever see a surplus again?
One sector hit hardest by the border closures is higher education, with the industry losing $1.8bn in revenue and 17,000 jobs due to the pandemic. What is the future for Australian universities if the borders remain closed?
Tens of thousands of Australians are still stranded overseas, so how will we clear the backlog?
And as the situation escalates between Israelis and Palestinians on the Gaza strip, we’ll look at the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the Middle East.
On the Panel
Luke McGregor
Comedian, writer and actor
Luke McGregor is a writer, actor, and one of Australia’s favourite comedians. In 2020, he finally found a use for his Economics degree, joining The Weekly with Charlie Pickering for his ‘Lukenomics’ segment.
Barnaby Joyce
Nationals Member for New England
Following the Federal Election on 18 May 2019, Barnaby Joyce was re-elected as the Member for New England with an increased primary vote.
Gabriela D’Souza
Senior Economist, Committee for Economic Development of Australia
Gabriela D’Souza is a Senior Economist at CEDA whose research covers immigration, education multidimensional disadvantage, and labour markets.
Tony Burke
Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations
Tony Burke is the Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations, the Shadow Minister for the Arts, and Manager of Opposition Business in the House of Representatives.
Zoe Whitton
Executive Director, Pollination
Zoe Whitton is a leading advisor on climate finance, with significant experience developing strategy, governance and analytics for institutional investors wishing to manage climate change risk and Sustainable Development Goal exposure.