That's consistent with what Australia's newish Chief Medical...

That's consistent with what Australia's newish Chief Medical Officer Dr Paul Kelly said a couple of days ago, but I agree the messaging has been inconsistent, with most of the State Premiers giving us the implied message that even though they don't control the question as to whether to open our international borders, they're hugely in favour of restrictions on interstate travel and limited numbers arriving into Australia.

Simon Brimingham who was the Minister for Tourism at one stage gave a more optimistic assessment.

My guess is that nobody in Australia knows, including the PM and his advisers.

Mr Joyce is a controversial figure but operating a business like QAN must be a nightmare at present.

He's claimed that domestic flying is back to 60 per cent of pre-COVID-19. The Victorian border reopening to BrisVegas residents/visitors and some Sydneysiders will help but, subject to another look at what QAN is operating from tomorrow, it didn't seem to me that domestic timetables were back to anything close to 60pc on a combined QAN/Jetstar basis.

Staff morale may also be badly hit by these Premiers' chopping and changing as apparently last week QAN stated more cabin crew would have to be stood down. Whether this has occurred now that the Vic border is open/about to reopen is not known.

While QAN's international routes are by and large not nearly as profitable as the domestic flying, historically the former have been a most important source of passenger traffic for QAN. For instance if one lives in ADL and chooses to fly QAN, typically one will use a domestic QAN flight to Melbourne or Sydney. Many overseas tourists who used to come to Oz fly on two or three sectors while in the country.

We cannot live in a cocoon forever. Mr Joyce is correct to imply life has to get back to some sort of normality.