That's it for a big question time.
Stay with The Courier-Mail for the latest news from the final parliamentary week of the year.
Queensland Parliament live blog: State border plans remain on track for reopening despite Omicron threat
Teachers and other workers in designated "high risk" areas, including airports, will be forced to get the Covid-19 vaccination, as the Premier expands the state's jab mandate. It comes as the state's border could reopen as early as next week.
Teachers and those working in "high-risk settings" including childcare centres, prisons and airports will be forced to get the Covid-19 vaccination under an expansion to the state's jab mandate.
Queensland recorded two cases of Covid in hotel quarantine, travellers from Victoria, and no community cases.
IT’S THE FINAL PARLIAMENTARY SITTING WEEK FOR 2021, SCROLL DOWN TO SEE HOW TODAY'S QUESTION TIME PLAYED OUT
Ms Palaszczuk said the state had reached 86.27 per cent first dose and 76.08 double-dose.
She said the vaccine mandate would be expanded to those working in "high-risk settings" including schools, childcare centres, prisons and airports.
It means staff in private and public schools must get the jab to protect children - who are not eligible.
Those affected will be required to have at least one vaccination dose by 17 December and be fully vaccinated by 23 January.
The mandate will cover people entering schools for supply and maintenance and brings Queensland into line with all other states.
Volunteers attending schools and childcare centres will also need to be vaccinated.
"If you can't be vaccinated we want to make sure those around you are vaccinated," she said.
"We want to do everything we can to protect these young people.
"These strong measures are in place to keep vulnerable Queenslanders protected. It’s consistent with other states and territories such as New South Wales and Victoria.
The Premier reconfirmed the state's plan to allow quarantine free domestic travel "have not been affected" by the latest Omicron variant.
The state's borders are set to open once the 80 per cent fully vaccinated target is hit, and Queensland could hit the milestone as early as December 10.
Ms Palaszczuk said she will receive more information from a national cabinet meeting today.
More Coverage
Updates
Question time concludes
Reduction in long elective surgery waits
Glass House Mountains MP Andrew Powell has referred to the 230,000 patients that were on the specialist outpatient waiting list in July.
"In the last quarter alone an extra 15,000 people were added – is this further proof a $400m cut during the Queensland Health crisis fails these health patients?" he asked.
Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said she was very proud of the work that the state's health workers do.
She said between June 1, 2020 and July 1 this year, there was an 87 per cent reduction in long elective surgery waits.
– Domanii Cameron
Opposition asks: Who's right?
Conflicting statements about the state of Queensland's health system between the AMAQ and Health Minister Yvette D'Ath has prompted Ninderry MP Dan Purdie to ask, who is right?
Ms D'Ath said concerns remained about how the health system would cope after the virus begins to circulate within the community.
She acknowledged surgeries may have to be suspended and staff relocated in areas with low vaccination rates.
– Hayden Johnson
Crisis action comes 'once it hits the press'
Manager of Opposition Business Jarrod Bleijie has questioned Health Minister Yvette D'Ath on the Palaszczuk Government's timing of its parliamentary inquiry into mental health.
"Why does the Government only take action in a moment of crisis and when it hits the media?" he asked.
He also asked Ms D'Ath on the mental health state of Queenslanders stuck across the border causing issues.
The Health Minister acknowledged the increase in mental health issues across the state and said it was an "appropriate" time to launch the inquiry.
"What we do know is there have been a lot of failures in the private medical sector which is pushing more people into the public sector," she said.
LNP MPs argued the Health Minister was "blaming Queenslanders" instead of admitting fault.
Ms D'Ath said that the state was seeing an increase primarily in adolescent mental health and eating disorders.
– Maddy Morwood
"Divides" among communities and families
Independent Noosa MP Sandy Bolton has probed Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on the consequential "divides" seen among communities and families as a result of the state government's vaccine mandates.
"Will the Premier stand shoulder to shoulder with these Queenslanders and reassess that these mandates are morally and ethically wrong?" she asked.
Premier Palaszczuk said that the answer was simply "no".
"On this side of the house, we stand for vaccines, and the stands we have to take to keep Queenslanders safe," she said.
The Premier questioned why Ms Bolton would ask such a question when she knows that her electorate was a tourist destination.
She added that the new variant of Covid-19, Omicron, was "very worrying".
"Countries closing their borders indicates that it is far more serious than Delta," she said.
– Maddy Morwood
Opposition asks Health Minister what she's been doing
Opposition health spokeswoman Ros Bates has referred to the Premier's comments "we're not ready" for Covid.
"If our hospitals are not ready, what has the Minister been doing for the past 671 days other than cutting $400m from our hospitals?" she asked.
Health Minister Yvette D'Ath started responding but the Opposition interjected.
"What I haven't been doing for the past 671 days is undermining [inaudible] … " she said.
She accused Ms Bates of verballing the Premier, while saying the government had been preparing when the Opposition had claimed it was overreacting,
"Since March 2020 Queensland Health has continued to undertake extensive planning and preparation for the significant increase in Covid cases," she said.
"We've been very fortunate, not lucky … and that is because of leadership."
– Domanii Cameron
"Root or boot"
Opposition frontbencher Amanda Camm has asked Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk whether she would intervene and sack a senior Queensland Health bureaucrat who was at the centre of a bullying investigation for sexually harassing women, including rating them with a game of "root or boot".
But Ms Palaszczuk said she wasn't aware of the issue.
The Courier-Mail revealed last week the Metro North senior manager, who allegedly played the game and called colleagues offensive names like "vinegar tits", had been reinstated at the state's biggest public hospital district.
It followed a year-long investigation, sparked when 11 women complained of a toxic culture in which people were berated in meetings, had things thrown at them, were forced to eat lunch with him, were asked to rate the “hotness” of others and were chastised for “conspiring” just for speaking to colleagues.
While an internal investigation “partially substantiated” allegations the man bullied and harassed staff, and confirmed he'd been flicking rubber bands at them, it concluded that staff members contributed to the culture of the workplace.
Complainants are furious at the findings, which they say amount to victim blaming considering the culture of fear, and can’t believe he’s been reinstated as a senior manager at Metro North.
– Jessica Marszalek
Does the Premier stand by her comments?
Opposition Leader David Crisafulli has asked the Premier whether she stood by her comments from last week when she accused the Commonwealth of wanting Queenslanders to get Covid-19 for Christmas.
Ms Palaszczuk said she wanted Queenslanders to be safe for Christmas.
"That is my absolute focus," she said.
"It is our intention to continue to reunite families."
– Domanii Cameron
Question time kicks off with controversial PCR test grilling
Question time has kicked off with the Opposition grilling Annastacia Palaszczuk over the PCR test confusion.
Noting the Premier signed a national agreement to share the cost in March 2020, Leader David Crisafulli asked her whether she would apologise.
It comes after Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe apologised on Thursday and Health Minister Yvette D'Ath apologised for the confusion on Friday.
Ms Palaszczuk said the issue had been addressed at length with the matter having been sorted.
– Domanii Cameron
Final parliamentary week begins
Good morning.
It's the final parliamentary sitting week for 2021 and question time is about to begin.
The Opposition is expected to pepper the government on its management of the health system.
Join the conversation
Australian-first dual vaccine to win over the hesitant, compromised
A combined Covid-19 and influenza vaccine is being trialled in Queensland in the hope it will protect people who otherwise cannot have, or are hesitant about, another type.
Read more
‘The biggest public health threat of our times’
Experts say instances of self harm linked to social media use are at virus epidemic levels, labelling it “the biggest public health threat of our times”.
Read more