Australia’s COVID Politics
| Date | 01 March 2022 |
| DOI | 10.1177/20419058221091629 |
| Author | Marija Taflaga |
| Published date | 01 March 2022 |
APRIL 2022 • POLITICAL INSIGHT 7
At rst glance, Novak Djokovic’s
failed attempt to play,
unvaccinated, at the Australian
Open was a textbook example
of the lengths to which Australia was willing
to go to enforce its national COVID strategy.
Even a global superstar would not be
allowed to out Australia’s strict pandemic
regulations. However, beneath the headlines,
Djokovic’s case pointed to some of the
complexities of COVID politics in Australia.
The tennis star reported that he worked
closely with Tennis Australia and the
Victorian government before arriving in
Australia. Initially, the Australian federal
government was happy to side-step the
entire issue, despite its clear responsibility
for the international border. Indeed,
Djokovic playing in the Australian Open
would be broadly in line with the federal
government’s move away from a COVID
suppression (and in some states COVID zero)
policy and towards ‘living with the virus’.
However, Djokovic’s attempt to enter the
country coincided with signicant failures
by both state and federal governments to
Australia’s COVID
Politics
Ahead of crunch elections in May 2022, Marija Taflaga explores
how Australia’s strict response to the COVID pandemic has exposed
tensions between state and federal governments and left Prime
Minister Scott Morrison’s future in the balance.
manage the Omicron outbreak, which saw
cases rapidly surge. Further, some political
leaders underestimated Australians’ support
for vaccination and their distaste for special
treatment of celebrities. All these factors
combined to increase the political pressure
on Liberal Prime Minister Scott Morrison
and his government. Although Djokovic
successfully challenged the decision to deny
him entry in the courts, he was ultimately
deported on the basis of broadly dened
ministerial discretionary powers. That is
to say, he was deported because it was
politically expedient to do so.
Australia has been a poster child for strict
COVID management since the outbreak of
the pandemic. Some of the measures used
included closed international and internal-
state borders; limiting most citizens’ ability
© LOREN ELLIOTT / Alamy Stock Photo
Political Insight April 2022 BU.indd 7Political Insight April 2022 BU.indd 7 01/03/2022 10:2701/03/2022 10:27
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