D’Ath’s blame of Qlders for being trapped is the ultimate insult

For the Health Minister to blame Queenslanders for the government’s failings is a disgraceful attempt to avoid responsibility she is paid $340k to bear.

What an insult for the thousands of Queenslanders trapped interstate under the most tragic circumstances to be told by an out-of-touch government it’s their fault for leaving the state.

In one of the most outrageous comments of the pandemic, Health Minister Yvette D’Ath on Saturday said it was the fault of Queenslanders trapped interstate for getting themselves locked out.

She said many had risked everything to travel to Victoria and New South Wales since June, knowing the chance of a lockdown meant they may not be able to return.

What an insensitive and insulting comment.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said many Queenslanders who are stuck interstate knew the risks before they left. Picture: Richard Walker

For Ms D’Ath to blame trapped Queenslanders for the government’s border and quarantine failings is a disgraceful attempt to avoid responsibility she is paid $340,400 to bear.

No, Minister, it is not their fault – it’s your governments.

Many of these Queenslanders now trapped in Victoria and New South Wales travelled south for the most tragic circumstances – to hold a loved one’s hand as they died or to attend a funeral.

Many travelled with an exemption to return to Queensland – only to have that shredded by the government’s heartless August 25 border lock out.

Thousands of people are desperate to enter Queensland and it’s not because they want to sip cocktails on our famous beaches.

In three minutes on Saturday Ms D’Ath further proved the government has lost touch with the predicament facing Queenslanders – just days after Annastacia Palaszczuk questioned why anybody would want to go overseas.

To see family? Not in India.

Mother of three Marvi Choudhry is trapped in Victoria after she travelled for an essential healthcare exam before the government’s snap border closure on August 25. Picture: Tim Carrafa

Few days pass without the Palaszczuk Government shifting blame to Scott Morrison, Greg Hunt or the entire state of New South Wales.

Ms D’Ath on Saturday also declared Queensland could not have “thousands of people all just coming home and going into home quarantine without looking at the risk factors”.

Yet just last month 15,000 families linked to the Indooroopilly schools cluster locked themselves in home quarantine for two weeks – some for longer – despite most receiving no health direction to do so.

Instead, Queensland Health said it “relied on Queenslanders to do the right thing, and they did not let us down … they were exceptional”.

Why can these school families be trusted to do the right thing but those trapped interstate can’t be?

Queensland has kept Covid-19 out – but it has come at a price.