The Singaporean Prime Minister says virus transmission numbers and vaccination rates will be among the considerations to opening travel up between the two countries.
"Well our officials are discussing the air travel bubble. We are also starting to discuss the mutual recognition of health vaccination certificates, and we will have to resume this in a safe and calibrated manner when both sides are ready. Certainly vaccination rates and transmission rates will be part of the consideration. I would say that in Singapore we are making good progress with our vaccination program and in Australia, they are also steadily vaccinating their population. I think once the majority of the population is vaccinated it becomes much easier for us to contemplate these openings up."
The Opposition's Jason Clare says vaccination rates in Australia have to go up before any serious consideration is given for further travel bubbles.
["I saw mention of a potential travel bubble with Singapore overnight. If that happens that is a good thing. We'd like to see that happen but there is no timetable set for when it might happen. I think the Singapore Prime Minister made the point that it can only happen once the majority of people are vaccinated, and we are a long way from that at the moment. I think only two, three percent of Australians have been vaccinated so we are a long way from more than 50 per cent of Aussies being vaccinated. To be honest, this vaccination rollout has been bungled pretty badly. It's not a rollout, it's a stroll-out. We need to speed it up."
The two leaders also discussed China's dominance in the region, after Scott Morrison earlier this week stepped up calls for a world order that favours freedom.
Ashley Townshend from the United States Studies Centre agrees that Australia needs to better manage its interactions with China.
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