Covid pandemic texts between Annastacia Palaszczuk and Scott Morrison finally made public

Private text messages between Annastacia Palaszczuk and Scott Morrison have revealed a secret WhatsApp chat shared by the two. READ THE TEXTS

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s office spent more than a year blocking the release of private text messages exchanged between herself and former Prime Minister Scott Morrison during the Covid pandemic.

But after multiple submissions and the involvement of the Office of the Information Commissioner, The Courier-Mail has now exclusively obtained eight pages of texts between the two leaders under Right to Information laws which discuss lockdowns, vaccine funding and back to school plans.

The texts also reveal the apparent existence of a secret WhatsApp group the various leaders of the states were using to communicate with the Prime Minister during the heady days of the Covid pandemic in 2020.

The request for the texts sent between the two leaders found 11 pages containing 12 text messages between the Premier and Mr Morrison – with Ms Palaszczuk’s office initially denying access to every text on the grounds that it would be “contrary to public interest”.

Even though an external review by the Office of the Information Commission found a number of the text messages would not be contrary to the public interest, the Department of the Premier and Cabinet (on behalf of the Premier’s office) attempted to block their release before relenting after 15 months.

The first of the released texts is sent by Mr Morrison on March 22, 2020 – four days before Queensland entered into its first “stage 1” border restriction.

The Prime Minister first tells the Premier “FYI on WhatsApp”, before saying “we should meet tonight”.

Mr Morrison goes on to say he had asked for advice on local shut downs and lock downs, telling Ms Palaszczuk “these measures would be initiated by states”.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s office spent more than a year trying to block text messages with former prime minister Scott Morrison during the Covid pandemic. Picture: Dan Peled

“As far as possible, acting with consistency of measures in commensurate circumstances will help each of you,” he texts.

He later texts that he will announce at a press conference his intention to meet with the Premier, “as well as hammering the social distancing and isolation messages, and flagging localised responses by states”.

“Thank you,” Ms Palaszczuk replies.

“I am standing up (holding a press conference) about money towards vaccine and will also talk about social distancing fyi”.

Former prime minister Scott Morrison. Picture: Dylan Robinson

Later in the month, on March 28, the Premier informs the Prime Minister about Queensland shutting its borders.

“As discussed last night qld will close its borders will finalise details exemptions of course freight etc,” she texts.

Mr Morrison asks her to please “make post on the WhatsApp group as well”.

Other texts include Ms Palaszczuk telling the Prime Minister about Queensland’s back to school plan.

A final text sent on September 10 was blocked from access.

Despite the partial release at least four texts between the two leaders have been kept secret, with multiple texts being deemed to “prejudice intergovernmental relations”.

“It is my preliminary view that, given their nature, disclosure of these exchanges could reasonably be expected to have a deterring effect on the future willingness of representatives of the Queensland and federal governments to engage in communications of a similar nature concerning matters of intergovernmental significance, thereby prejudicing those relations or otherwise undermining the effective and efficient operations of National Cabinet,” the Office of the Information Commissioner found.

The messages between Mr Morrison and Ms Palaszczuk are not the first private texts released between two leaders.

A number of text messages between the Ms Palaszczuk and then NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian exchanged during the pandemic have been previously released, with the NSW leader misspelling Ms Palaszczuk’s name multiple times.