‘Feds wanted Queenslanders to get Covid for Christmas’: Premier unleashes over PCR debacle

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has accused the Federal Government of wanting ‘Queenslanders to get Covid for Christmas’, claiming it had wanted to scrap the controversial PCR test for travellers.

Annastacia Palaszczuk has accused the Commonwealth of wanting Queenslanders to get Covid for Christmas, claiming it had wanted to scrap the PCR test for people travelling to Queensland, while also calling for the politics to stop.

Responding to news overnight that a pathology test will only be charged when the person needs an official certificate, the Premier said she was delighted the issue had been sorted.

Her comments came hours after Deputy Premier Steven Miles blamed the media and the federal government for the confusion around the tests.

Asked whether she also blamed the media, Ms Palaszczuk said she was happy the issue had been sorted.

“The federal government wanted to scrap PCR test all together,” she said.

“That was never going to be what we desired because PCR tests actually keep Queenslanders safe.”

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

She accused the Commonwealth of singling Queensland out and the issue being about the federal election.

“Why did the federal government want Queenslanders to get Covid for Christmas, they wanted to scrap the PCR test,” she said.

While calling for the politics to stop, the Premier said it was important Queensland and the Commonwealth worked together cooperatively.

Asked whether she had rung federal health minister Greg Hunt to discuss the test, the Premier said: “I don’t pick up the phone to the Federal Health Minister, I’m happy to pick up the phone to Scott Morrison. I have a health minister that can deal with the federal health minister.”

Earlier, Deputy Premier Steven Miles blasted federal MPs for using PCR tests to create a controversy to “distract from their own leadership tensions”.

Mr Miles blamed the controversy over PCR tests on federal MPs, labelling it an “orchestrated campaign”.

“It wasn’t us saying it would cost people, we were asked whether people needed tests.” he said.

“Just yesterday, (Federal Health Minister Greg) Hunt said that we should drop the requirement for the PCR test, but by yesterday afternoon he was clarifying that PCR tests would be free.

“We welcome that confirmation, it is good news, we just wish it had come sooner.”

Deputy Premier Steven Miles says controversies over PCR tests was a campaign led by federal MPs. Picture: Tertius Pickard

Mr Hunt only provided that confirmation after Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced that only text message confirmation was required, not a print certificate which would cost $145.

Mr Miles today confirmed that a text message would be sufficient evidence of a negative test.

He said it was never up to the Queensland Government to provide clarity around the costs associated with PCR tests in other states, saying it was a federal government responsibility.

Mr Miles also deflected questions as to why the state government had not taken the opportunity to set the record straight over the past five days on people not needing a printed certificate to prove a negative PCR test.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt. Picture: Gary Ramage

“We called on the Commonwealth to set the record straight. We don’t provide tests for people in New South Wales, for people in Victoria.

We said we would continue to do those tests in Queensland for people travelling to other states. It was up to the Commonwealth (to clarify if people would have to pay for PCR tests).”

However, at issue was whether travellers needed a printed certif­icate – which cost about $145 – or a free text confirmation.

Late on Tuesday, Mr Hunt said confirmation that a text message would be acceptable meant the tests would be free.

“A pathology test will only be charged for a patient when they are required to obtain an official certificate, rather than using the existing text message system that is in operation in every state and territory,” Mr Hunt said in a statement.

The PCR war comes as Queensland recorded one new case of Covid-19 overnight - acquired overseas and detected in hotel quarantine.

Mr Miles said the latest Covid case was identified on their fifth day of hotel quarantine returning from Papua New Guinea.

Mr Miles said there are only three active cases across Queensland and it had been 14 days since the Gold Coast recorded a mystery case in the community.

A total of 10,478 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours.

The state has tipped over 85 per cent first dose of eligible Queenslanders and 74.07 per cent have had their second dose.

Mr Miles said that the freedoms provided to vaccinated people would come into play on a fixed date of December 17, even if the state hit 80 per cent earlier.

He said that they had received “significant feedback” from the business community that it would be much easier to have a fixed date.

“We are confirming this date is December 17,” he said.

“While the border opening is when we achieve 80 per cent, and that may well be sooner, the mandates for vaccinated and unvaccinated will come into effect on December 17.”