Qld premier says state is ‘singled out’ over strict border measures
Qld Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has rejected claims the state’s border closures are ‘politically motivated’.
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Queensland’s Premier has taken aim at other state leaders for “singling out” Queensland’s stringent border closures.
It comes as the state records one new COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours to Wednesday morning, a returned traveller from Papua New Guinea in hotel quarantine.
It’s been almost three weeks since a last known case of the virus was in the community.
Close to 10,000 people have been tested across the state in the past 24 hours.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has remained firm in her stance on keeping Queensland’s borders closed to interstate travellers from hot spot Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT, which has been met with some criticism from the New South Wales Deputy Premier.
It comes following comments John Barilaro made about border closures being potentially politically motivated. He argued Ms Palaszczuk shouldn’t be locking out northern New South Wales residents as the region had no cases.
“The Premier in Queensland is playing to a political agenda and an election agenda rather than the goodwill of the region,” he said on Tuesday.
In response, Ms Palaszczuk said it seemed Queensland was getting singled out.
“Tasmania has its border closed, South Australia has strict border closures and so does Western Australia, Queensland is no different,” she said.
“Perhaps he (John Barilaro) needs to direct his comments to other states.
“It seems to be Queensland gets singled out.”
Speaking earlier on ABC Breakfast, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he understood why states were enforcing stringent border measures, but urged Premiers and Chief Ministers to be transparent.
“I understand the decisions taken, and these have been discussed at National Cabinet,” Mr Morrison said.
“The cases in differing states are obviously all quite different.
“(Border closures) are incredibly disruptive, and premiers need to work together to ensure medical access.
“If there are going to be border arrangements, that can have serious impacts on economies and livelihoods … that all needs to be weighed up. Leaders need to be transparent.”
Ms Palaszczuk said restrictions would stay in place until there was no community transmission in New South Wales and Victoria, quoting Mr Morrison higlighting that may not be until after Christmas.
“He said that in the Financial Review,” she said.
“I think that we as a country need to support Victoria and New South Wales... so all of Australia can open back up.
“That should be the number one aspiration of all premiers and state leaders.”
It comes as Queensland expands its border bubble, including more postcodes around the Goondiwindi region in an attempt to “make life easier” for the state’s agriculture industry.
It comes as details emerge Australia has secured 25 million doses of the promising Oxford COVID-19 vaccine should it prove effective.
The deal will see Australian pharmaceutical producer AstraZeneca manufacture doses and the vaccine would be free for Australians.
Earlier, NSW Health Minister slammed Ms Palaszczuk’s earlier comments that “in Queensland, we have Queensland hospitals for our people”, saying they were “astonishing”.
It comes after Ms Palaszczuk was asked yesterday about the case of a Ballina woman, whose new born baby had to be transported to Brisbane on the weekend for treatment. The woman and her partner were told they would need to quarantine for 14 days before being allowed in the hospital.
Mother and child have since been reunited in northern NSW.
Ms Palaszczuk said yesterday decisions were made by health professionals, and had nothing to do with politics.
Mr Hazzard said some patients in northern NSW were being denied access to Brisbane’s major hospitals, and were forced to travel up to 12 hours for treatment in Sydney.
Originally published as Qld premier says state is ‘singled out’ over strict border measures