Editorial: You never know what you’re going to get with Qld borders

The Queensland Government’s border policy has proved once again that, to quote a movie line, it’s like a box of chocolates.

The State Labor Government’s border exemption regime has proven yet again that it’s like a box of chocolates: you never know what you’re going to get.

The latest example of rank contradiction with how the scheme operates involves none other than Hollywood A-list actor Tom Hanks and the international production crew filming Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic.

Tom Hanks returns to quarantine on the Gold Coast with Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis movie set to resume

QLD Premier warns PM she won’t be ‘intimidated’ over border rules

Jeff Horn v Tim Tszyu fight: Ring assemblers exempt from COVID restrictions

Rather than being forced to endure two weeks of isolation in one of the many hotels designated for quarantining, Hanks and his entourage have been given an exemption to stay at another –
no doubt more luxurious – establishment.

Nothing to see here, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk insisted yesterday, saying that because the screen industry had an approved COVID-19 safety plan there had been no bending of the rules for the Forrest Gump star.

What utter bunkum.

Hanks joins a growing list of celebrities, sports stars and boxing-ring builders who have been allowed to avoid quarantining in a designated hotel while average folks have not been afforded the same flexibility, regardless of their needs.

Ms Palaszczuk may be technically correct in saying no rules were broken or bent for Hanks – but that’s only because the government appears to be making up the rules as it goes.

Despite the Premier’s endearment with movie stars, spare Queenslanders the nonsense that local film production is anything other than a niche industry that relies heavily on taxpayer-funded handouts to survive.

Ms Palaszczuk said yesterday: “(The screen industry provides) 900 jobs on the Gold Coast.”

Well, there are industries in Queensland that employ far more people on a permanent basis than the film sector ever will, which have not been afforded the ability to have their employees come into Queensland under their own COVID-Safe plans.

They are suffering huge losses as a result of the border closures.

Tourism, for instance.

Ms Palaszczuk stressed yesterday that pain was inevitable in a global pandemic but her border barricade was based on health advice and keeping Queenslanders safe.

However, the problem is not the closure of the border itself but the inherent contradiction in how exemptions are being granted.

If random police checks on Hanks and the crew are considered a safe solution when they come from a country with a high COVID-19 infection rate, why can’t similar solutions be found for people from northern NSW, where there are no coronavirus cases?

People have missed out on funerals and a mother didn’t get to meet her newborn for days because of the hard border closure, but a film star gets special treatment?

Rather than rolling out the red carpet to Hanks and her other celebrity mates, Ms Palaszczuk should stop treating average people like second-class citizens and come up with a system that is fair for all.

That’s what Queenslanders expect.

Human safety is top priority

No stone should be left unturned in the investigation as to how a shark attack could have occurred on a Gold Coast beach.

The death of Nick Slater, 46, at Greenmount Beach on Tuesday afternoon is a tragedy, and our thoughts in the aftermath of this horrific event are with Nick’s friends and family.

As a state we now have to confront the reality of a dangerous new precedent in what is perhaps our most important tourism destination. This fatal attack has robbed us of the peace of mind we expect on the Gold Coast’s beaches.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has given reassurances that her government was ready to do whatever was necessary: “The ultimate goal has to be protecting human life.’’

That is the right approach. Yet there are extreme fringes of the global environmental movement which tend to prioritise the natural world over the safety and security of human beings. We can’t allow that philosophy to take root.

While we must continue to do all we can to protect all endangered species, our guiding principle must be that expressed by the Premier.