Karl Stefanovic hits back at ’media pile on’ over QLD closed borders
Today Show host Karl Stefanovic has come to the defence of Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk over her hardline stance on Queensland’s border, including hitting back at Peter Dutton in a fiery interview.
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Today Show host Karl Stefanovic has hit back at a “media pile-on” on Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and her hard-line stance on the state’s closed borders.
Sunrise host Samantha Armytage blasts Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk over border closure
Karl also hit back at Federal Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton who has previously attacked the State Labour Government’s tough border control.
“What I’m about to say isn’t going to be popular” Stefanovic said to Minister Dutton and Deputy Opposition Leader Richard Marles this morning.
I am personally finding the pile on Anastasia Palaszczuk right now a little hard to understand.”
“From what I can see Annastacia is doing what she was elected to do, fiercely protect her state.
The surprising outburst comes as front pages across the country have criticised the QLD Premier, as well as Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan over their “fortress” states.
“When you look at the terrible impact of COVID in Victoria, who can blame her?” Steffanovic added.
Though Peter Dutton said he agreed with keeping borders closed “closed if that’s the recommendation of the health authorities” – it shouldn’t be happening in Queensland.
“Karl, we are on the same page here. I don’t have any problem with borders being closed if that’s the recommendation of the health authorities, but in Queensland it’s not,” he said.
“The trouble at the moment is that we have got a situation that is all political and we are seeing a lot of people suffer.
“Businesses will close, those jobs won‘t be there, so we have got to think about what’s happening today, but what happens over the next six months and the borders closed at the moment means complete devastation for families in Queensland and there is no reason for it.”
The back and forth follows 7’s Sunrise host Samantha Armytage declaring yesterday morning she wants to “have it out” with Premier Palaszczuk” over the border closure.
“She won’t take Gladys Berejiklian’s phone calls, so I don’t think she’ll take ours.” She said live on air on Thursday.
Armytage said she had friends in the Moree area and was concerned about their future as she was talking to local Mayor Katrina Humphries.
“I know we’re all in this together … I know we have to stop the spread of this virus, but there’s some really silly decisions and dangerous and deadly decisions being made against good people purely because of politics,” she said.