Opinion: Wrong turn proves what a joke our ‘freedom’ really is

I recently took a wrong turn and suddenly found myself in ‘no man’s land’. That’s right, I’d accidentally crossed over into NSW, writes Mike O’Connor.

My brother-in-law visited from Adelaide last week and as we prepared to leave Brisbane and head to the Gold Coast for a few days, I warned him to beware the New South Wales border.

“Make sure you exit the highway before you get to Coolangatta or you will find yourself inadvertently crossing the border,” I told him. “It’s an easy mistake to make.”

He did as directed and arrived at our accommodation without ­incident. I drove merrily down the highway and for reasons that remain unclear, stupidity being one possible explanation, drove straight across No Man’s Land into NSW.

“I think we’re in NSW,” I said to my wife. “We can’t be,” she said as I took the next exit to be confronted by a flashing sign warning of traffic queuing ahead.

“Now what?” she said as the ­traffic crawled towards the police border checkpoint.

“This might be a bit tricky,” I said as she rolled her eyes and wondered not for the first time in our blessed union why ­impending disaster was her husband’s constant companion.

“We just drove down from ­Brisbane,” I explained. “We’re ­supposed to be in Coolangatta.” “Pull over there,” said the officer.

“Oh Lord,” sighed my wife as the prospect of 14 days’ quarantine loomed.

Police perform checks on the NSW/QLD border in Coolangatta on the Gold Coast. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

We handed over the copy of our accommodation reservation and on request, showed our phones with our recent Brisbane QR code check-ins and the nice officer waved us on.

“Be careful,” she said. “Your accommodation is right on the border.”

It was a stressful few minutes and as we drove off it occurred to me that as an Australian citizen, albeit a stupid one, I should not have to endure these restrictions on my freedom of movement that have become the norm.

The police officer was right about our apartment tower. It was a stubby throw from the border and every morning I looked out our bedroom window to behold the endless queues of vehicles waiting to get into Queensland edging their way ­towards the checkpoints.

I could stand and wave to the ­drivers as I looked across the invisible wall that divided us. Around “Cooly” the streets were quiet, the businesses destroyed by mindless border closures long gone, those that remained clinging to the hope that sanity might soon prevail. It crystallised the idiocy of the border closures we have endured.

The borders will open soon we are told, this “freedom” being dangled before us. Like schoolchildren in a classroom, we are told that because we have been good we will be let out to play.

But wait! The acting chief health officer Dr Peter Aitken now warns us that with the spectre of the Omicron Covid variant, there is no guarantee that this will happen.

The incoming chief heath officer Dr John Gerrard has the job in front of him. He could start by insisting that his media conferences will be solo performances without the hovering presence of Premier Palaszczuk, Deputy Premier Miles and Deputy Police Commissioner Gollschewski.

It gives the impression that rather than the clinical advice of the state’s most senior health professional, what we are hearing is government policy attuned to the political needs of the day.

He must be seen to be above politics and not joined at the hip to the Premier. He might also insist that his health advice to the government is made public and not hidden from view.

The people of Queensland paid for the advice. We’re entitled to see it and should not be fobbed off with the “don’t you worry about that. We’re keeping Queenslanders safe” absurdities to which we have so sadly become accustomed.

Queensland's new chief health officer Dr John Gerrard. Picture: Nigel Hallett

It’s a long time since senior public servants gave frank and fearless advice to their ministers. The politicisation on the public service is now an accepted fact of life, but the chief health officer, charged with wide-­ranging powers, must stand above the fawning mob.

We need to be told that our borders will remain open and that our state’s health system will be able to cope with whatever challenges eventuate for you don’t have to be a CHO to appreciate that the government has had more than enough time in which to ensure that this is the case.

All eyes will be upon Dr Gerrard when he assumes his new role next month.

In announcing his appointment, Premier Palaszczuk said: “Queensland has shown the importance of listening to expert health advice. It has kept us safe and will continue to keep us safe.”

That’s lovely, but in the interests of keeping everyone honest – and that surely is a good thing – how about some transparency.