Is Palaszczuk now punishing Sydneysiders over a personal gripe she has with Gladys?
It is time for the Queensland Premier to grow up and follow the example of her NSW counterpart in putting her petulant border stance aside, writes Kylie Lang
Kylie Lang
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At least one premier is putting on her big girl pants and calling for an end to petulance.
It is high time Annastacia Palaszczuk did the same instead of immaturely allowing a personal vendetta to cloud her already foggy judgment on border closures.
Queensland should be open to greater Sydney. Victoria should follow.
But the Queensland Labor leader is digging in her heels like a defiant schoolgirl.
On Wednesday, NSW’s Liberal Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she was “over” the bitter feud between the pair.
Aren’t we all?
After being initially ignored and then crudely dismissed by Ms Palaszczuk in a text exchange following the October 31 Queensland election, Ms Berejiklian said she wouldn’t be texting her after the second State of Origin match.
“No, I’m over that, to be honest. And it’s not just about me and her anymore,” she said.
Thank you. It should never have descended into a personal stand-off in the first place.
But for months, we’ve watched, growing more tired by the minute, as sniping between the pair allowed political colours to trump common sense.
Ms Palaszczuk accused Ms Berejiklian of trying to change the course of the Queensland election by saying then Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington would open the borders.
Never mind that “keeping Queenslanders safe” was the mantra Ms Palaszczuk successfully used at the expense of any other resounding achievements during her past six years in the top job.
Ms Palaszczuk also accused Ms Berejiklian and Prime Minister Scott Morrison – a consistent opponent of her belligerent border stance – of trying to bully her.
What is this? Year 9?
Lucy Carne: Palaszczuk and Berejiklian’s border feud damages all women in politics
The re-elected premier has been described as “childish” and “a brat” after her apparently juvenile response to an olive-branch text from her NSW counterpart.
On Sunday night, November 1, Ms Berejiklian sent this: “Hi Annastacia, Congratulations on your election win. I can imagine how difficult that was during a pandemic! Hope we can work together to get our borders open. Gladys.”
Ms Palaszczuk waited three days to respond, before texting back, “Queenslander”, after the first State of Origin win on November 4.
A more flippant response to a critical economic and social issue is hard to imagine.
As Ms Berejiklian said on November 5: “I didn’t know whether to be shocked or bemused, frankly, because I’m worried about jobs and I’m worried about people not seeing their families. And she just rubbed in the fact that Queensland won the game; that’s fine. She didn’t mention borders, she didn’t mention a thanks for the congratulations.”
Coronavirus Qld: Premier cops heat over ‘childish’ text
Berejiklian ‘mortified’ over QLD’s Victorian border call
And here we are, still stuck in a lose-lose situation as more and more businesses go to the wall and families suffer.
On Wednesday, Ms Berejiklian accused the Premier of being “spiteful” and that the conditions imposed ahead of any reopening of the Queensland-NSW border are “unrealistic”.
Calling out Ms Palaszczuk’s previous demands for 28 consecutive days without a mystery case, she also said there was no health evidence for the 48-hour deadline to link existing clusters.
The NSW leader said it was “cruel” to let “politics get in the way of public health”.
On this, she is also correct.
And oh, for a little common sense.
A friend of mine hasn’t seen her son, who is studying in Sydney, for months, but they are both on the road and bound for Coffs Harbour where they will be reunited.
My friend won’t be required to quarantine when she returns to Brisbane, yet she is mixing with one of those Sydneysiders Ms Palaszczuk is so intent on shutting out.
Please can we drop the schoolgirl behaviour and act like mature adults capable of making objective decisions that are mutually beneficial.
We are Australians first and foremost and it is the least we deserve.
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