‘I do stand by it’: Palaszczuk on harsh criticism of Covid lockdowns

Former Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has spoken candidly about strict restrictions she implemented during the pandemic that separated Queenslanders from dying relatives.

Former Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has candidly addressed the harsh criticism she endured for implementing strict border measures during the pandemic, which saw Queenslanders separated from their dying relatives.

In an emotionally charged panel discussion to be aired on 7News Spotlight program on Sunday night, Ms Palaszczuk admitted the Covid lockdown measures were not always perfect and the snap decisions had weighed on her mind.

Former Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk leads a panel of experts who were directly involved in Australia’s pandemic response on 7News Spotlight program. Picture: 7News

“Every single night you’d go home, have I done the right thing? Of course, it affects you,” she said.

“Not everything was right, not everything was perfect, but we got through it.”

Despite the heavy criticism she endured at the time, the former premier stood by her actions to implement harsh border lockdowns that saw thousands of Queenslanders shut-out of the state for months.

“It was very difficult at the time, but the results for Queensland in the end, I do stand by it, but I do acknowledge it was very difficult and hard for families,” she said.

Former Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Picture: 7News

“The end result was we only had tragically seven deaths during that whole period of that two years before we opened up our borders, so I think the results show that it did work.”

Ms Palaszczuk refused to be drawn on things she could have done better or whether she would make the same lockdown decisions today.

But she did reflect on the lessons learned during the pandemic, saying Queensland needed better domestic manufacturing and access to vaccines and PPE gear.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk during a visit to the Convention centre vaccination hub in Brisbane. Picture: Tertius Pickard

“We didn’t have the masks and everything else that was needed so, we actually have domestic manufacturing, but we also have, I believe, a stronger economy that’s come out of it,’ she said.

“For me in the grips of that early time, that early stages when we first heard about this virus, I didn’t know, I couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, but we got there, and we got there as a nation.”

The Spotlight episode ‘After Covid’ airs 8.45pm Sunday on Channel 7 and 7plus.

Vehicles queue up at the NSW-QLD border at Coolangatta during Covid lockdowns. Pic: Dan Peled.