Qld borders set to remain closed at 80 per cent vaccination rate

Queensland could be marking Christmas alone, with the Premier backing away from the national plan to open up once 80 per cent of the population is vaccinated. VOTE IN OUR POLL

Queensland could become Australia’s lonely state, with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk dashing hopes of interstate and international family reunions at Christmas even if the state reaches its 80 per cent vaccination target.

A fiery Premier would not say yesterday whether Queensland’s border to New South Wales and Victoria would open by Christmas and dismissed talk of international travel resuming within months.

Her comments were another blow for Queensland’s struggling businesses and tourism industry, which has repeatedly called for a clear plan to emerge from Covid-19.

In a combative media conference, Ms Palaszczuk said there was still no prediction of when 80 per cent of the Queensland population ­would be vaccinated, and declined to say what freedoms or rewards people would eventually benefit from.

She said Queensland’s ­reopening plan would not be finalised until the national plan was discussed at national cabinet.

“We’ve got another meeting next week so everyone can just hold off and calm down until next Friday,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

The Premier also shot back at questions about whether she supported the Federal Government’s assurances that Australians should be able to travel overseas by Christmas.

“Where are you going to go?” she asked. “Are you going to go to India?

“I think the Federal Government needs to identify very clearly what are the countries that Australians can travel to, OK.”

Ms Palaszczuk also refused to say whether she would open the border with an 80 per cent vaccination rate and referred questions about whether Queenslanders could travel to Victoria or New South Wales for Christmas to those states’ premiers.

“In Victoria if you have 80 per cent vaccinated, including 12-15-years-olds, you can have 30 people around to your house for Christmas dinner – at the moment everyone in Queensland can have 100 people,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said the national plan, which leaders had signed up to, was “very clear and very simple” about what would happen when 70 per cent then 80 per cent of the adult population was vaccinated.

“That is about giving people back their own freedoms, and it is a contract with the Australian people that all leaders … have signed up to,” Mr Hunt said.

“It is a partnership between leaders and the people … that is why it is so important.”

Mr Hunt said opening up international travel was about “our most basic humanity”.

“It isn’t (just) about international travel, it is about ­people connecting with their families, their friends, their loved ones,” he said.

“That is what we want to be able to return to, and that is why the national plan, which has been agreed by all states and territories, published and made available to the public, is such an important road map for the nation.”

Queensland Tourism Industry Council chief executive Daniel Gschwind said the industry could plan for a safe reopening if it had more details.

“Obviously, we’d like more clarity about how we get from here to Christmas and we’d like a strong transparent ­national approach (showing) what steps are likely, what steps are necessary, what steps we can take as an industry to support good health outcomes,” he said.

“And the more discussion we can have – is there a need for vaccination passports, is there a need for testing to cross borders – our industry is ready and willing to do whatever is necessary.”

Mr Gschwind said while Queensland was enjoying great freedom now, “we have to work towards engaging with the rest of the country and the rest of the world”.

“This is a social and community issue as well,” he said.

“There really is no alternative.”

Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland policy and advocacy manager Amanda Rohan slammed the Premier’s “unwillingness” to commit to a path out of Covid-19.

“Queensland businesses fear they could be left behind when those in other states are planning, investing and upscaling ready for when borders reopen and lockdowns are abandoned,” Ms Rohan said.

“Those businesses have a light at the end of the tunnel and some kind of confidence as to what they can expect, which is more than what Queensland businesses have been afforded.” “When businesses confidence is already at its lowest since the start of the pandemic, this does little to foster any kind of business and consumer confidence for the future.”

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli said people were looking for calm and clear leadership.

“They want a pathway out of the pandemic and they want to see hope over fear, and what we saw today was nothing short of undermining that confidence,” he said.

“We don’t want aggression, we want to see a clear and ­decisive pathway out of the pandemic.

“What I witnessed during that press conference was more of the blame game where it’s always someone else’s fault.”

Mr Crisafulli said people wanted to know there was a better life ahead in an economically strong and socially connected state.

“Let’s talk about successful businesses and the people they employ, let’s talk about reconnecting with loved ones, that’s a pathway out of the pandemic,” he said.

He said he wasn’t sure why the Government was walking away from a target that would incentivise Queenslanders to do the right thing and get vaccinated.