In an era of political disruption that weighs against incumbents, and in a state prone to rural and redneck populism, it would be churlish not to give credit to Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk for winning a third term in office on Saturday.

However, the Palaszczuk government’s return was not a reward for principled leadership in a crisis, but the result of a shamelessly populist re-election campaign that relied on the popularity of Queensland’s medically unnecessary, highly parochial, fear-mongering, and economically damaging border closure policy, which has unjustifiably set back Australia’s economic recovery and COVID-safe reopening of the economy.