Editorial: Covid-19 breach punishment must fit the crime

A fine of $4000 hardly seems like a deterrent for someone who breaches our border on a $20,000-a-day superyacht, writes the editor. VOTE IN OUR POLL

A fine of $4000 hardly seems like a deterrent for someone with the wealth and means to skip over the border into Queensland from a locked-down area.

For the four people on a superyacht fined for making a false border declaration after fleeing Covid-ravaged Sydney for the Gold Coast, it wouldn’t be a drop in the ocean.

Yes, there are two weeks to endure in a quarantine hotel now – but for some people, it would be worth rolling the dice.

Jeromy Young was one of those aboard the superyacht.

The movements of the four travellers found to have been on-board the Dreamtime – a 34m superyacht costing almost $20,000 a day to charter – have outraged Queensland Health and police officials after potentially placing thousands of Queenslanders at risk.

They have copped fines of more than $4000, but not before attending last week’s rugby Test between the Wallabies and France at Suncorp Stadium with more than 17,000 other spectators.

While they have all so far tested negative to the virus, Health Minister Yvette D’Ath yesterday revealed an unsettling evolution of the virus was that people tended to now test positive towards the end of their 14-day quarantine periods.

So that means we could have almost two weeks of waiting to see if anyone in this superyacht group brought the virus with them from Sydney, which is in a perilous situation with a second person dying from the outbreak as the state recorded another 89 cases yesterday.

This underlines how imperative it is not only for people to follow the laws in relation to our borders during this pandemic, but the importance of ensuring potential law breakers are adequately deterred.

At the beginning of the pandemic, no one really knew how these laws would be applied, and there was certainly no modern-day precedent. It was understandable that there was some hesitancy from authorities to throw the book at people who probably did not really comprehend the gravity of what they were doing, or that it was against the law.

But we are 18 months into this pandemic now. People know what they are doing, and that it is wrong.

The maximum penalty for failing to comply with public health directions in Queensland is $13,785 or six months’ jail.

It is time to get tougher on people who could potentially bring the virus into our state during lockdown periods.

It is recognised the media also plays a role in this.

Part of the punishment for a crime often involves being named and shamed in the local paper.

From drink-drivers to petty thieves, drug traffickers and murderers – they have their names and photos splashed in papers across the world.

The Courier-Mail has sought to, wherever possible, name and shame anyone who breaks the law in relation to border lockdowns.

The courts in Queensland, Australia and internationally have long acknowledged media coverage can also act as a deterrent and a form of punishment.

Make no mistake, while convictions may not be recorded for flouting our public health policies, it is still against the law – and it should be treated as such.

During a pandemic, it can literally be a life-and-death matter. It is about time we treated it as such.

ALBO’S MIXED MESSAGES

Anthony Albanese has somehow managed to kick an own goal with his furtive visit to a coalmine near Moranbah.

Rather than local miners – people who used to be traditional Labor voters – giving the Opposition Leader a pat on the back, they are instead mystified by why Mr Albanese appeared to keep his visit a secret.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was also stumped about why Mr Albanese was not up front about the trip, given the party is trying to win back the trust of blue-collar workers and reverse the wipe-out it suffered in rural Queensland in the 2019 federal election. Mr Albanese must be careful to not fall into the same trap as his predecessor, Bill Shorten, who would give different messages about the future of coalmining when in Melbourne than he was visiting Queensland.

If Mr Albanese has really learnt that lesson, he should support mining jobs – and be seen to do it.

Responsibility for election comment is taken by Chris Jones, corner of Mayne Rd & Campbell St, Bowen Hills, Qld 4006. Printed and published by NEWSQUEENSLAND (ACN 009 661 778). Contact details are available here