NATIONAL Cabinet usually takes place from an office in Canberra for Prime Minister Scott Morrison, however, last week Williamtown hosted the Prime Minister for the crucial meeting of our leaders.

In March 2020, in response to the pandemic, the Council of Australian Governments met and made the decision to form a ‘National Cabinet’ made up of the Prime Minister and all state and territory first ministers to coordinate the response to COVID-19 in Australia.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, “I’m here today and will be for the first time chairing the National Cabinet right here in the Hunter.

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“So that’s a first for the Hunter, obviously at the National Cabinet there’ll be some important matters discussed.”

With the pandemic still raging in countries like India, Nepal and Pakistan, weighty matters were on the agenda.

“The Government has made no decision yet on the restarting of normal commercial flights from India.

“We will take further advice on that next week.

“I will consult with the premiers and chief ministers today as part of that National Cabinet meeting.

“Yesterday, the National Security Committee of the Federal Cabinet met to consider the restoration of repatriation flights of, after the 15th of May.

“First of all, the pause that we put in place for travellers coming back from India is working.

“The medical advice we have and the evidence that we have in our quarantine facilities, in particular up in the Northern Territory, is showing that the number of cases there is moving back to more manageable levels and will be at a level by the 15th of May to ensure that, as planned, we will be able to return to having those repatriation flights from India, from the 15th of May.

“We have some 900 people listed as vulnerable as part of the group that we have registered in India, and our charter flights will be focusing on them.

“New measures have been added for travellers from India including rapid antigen testing put in place for everyone getting onto those flights.”

Sustainable repatriation of Australians, Australian citizens and Australian residents and their direct families was just one of the hot topics for the National Cabinet meeting which was hosted from Williamtown.

By Marian SAMPSON