Your say: ‘Stop trying to control our lives’: Outrage at Premier’s ‘overstep’ with stay home order

Outraged Southeast Queenslanders who woke to sunny and storm-free skies have demanded Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk ‘stop trying to control our lives ’ after she closed schools amid severe weather fears. SEE THE COMMENTS

Outraged Southeast Queenslanders who woke to sunny and storm-free skies have demanded Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk ‘stop trying to control our lives ’ after she closed schools and urged people to stay home for 48 hours amid fears of more severe weather.

Ms Palaszczuk has apologised after she faced extreme criticism for her controversial decision when severe storms and flash flooding failed to materialise, meaning parents were again forced to juggle home schooling children while juggling work on what turned out to be a mild autumn day.

The Courier Mail commenters said the government’s ‘overreaching into our lives has to stop’, pointing out people needed to be able to make decisions about their safety without government orders.

“This has to stop. This Government is out of control and overreaching into our lives,” wrote Philip.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk as she announced schools would be closed. Picture: Josh Woning

“My weather forecast is a standard weather forecast for this time of year. Partly cloudy, with showers, possible storm, may be severe with heavy rain and flash flooding. Expected rainfall 5 - 15mm. Light winds NNE to SSE up to 25kmh easing in the evening. Seems a standard Friday forecast to me.

“If I can’t make reasonably safe decisions for me and my family and run my life, I need to re evaluate my IQ.”

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THE COMMENTS AND HAVE YOUR SAY

Meanwhile, Nick commented ‘get out of our lives Qld Govt, stop trying to micro manage our daily lives’.

Some pointed out the ‘kneejerk’ reaction was a continuation of power to impose snap lockdowns during Covid, while others said it was a political ploy to win popularity for ‘keeping Queenslanders safe’ and a distraction from the government integrity issues.

People pile up rubbish is placed at a flooded Vincent Street, Auchenflower. (Photo: Peter Wallis/Getty Images)

Despite the outrage, Ms Palaszczuk also had support with many saying ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’.

“It was commonsense and good advice. Unless you have a crystal ball I don’t see how this could have proceeded another way,” wrote Alan.

While commenter ‘Ruth’ wrote: ‘This has been a crazy week but I prefer the option of being safe than sorry. Weather predictions might now be wrong but we can handle another day of learning from home.”

THE OUTRAGE:

Philip: This has to stop. This Government is out of control and overreaching into our lives. My weather forecast is a standard weather forecast for this time of year. Partly cloudy, with showers, possible storm, may be severe with heavy rain and flash flooding. Expected rainfall 5 - 15mm. Light winds NNE to SSE up to 25kmh easing in the evening. Seems a standard Friday forecast to me. If I can’t make reasonably safe decisions for me and my family and fun my life. I need to re evaluate my IQ.

Nick: Get out of our lives Qld Govt!! Stop trying to micro manage our daily lives……..Get out of my life and do your job of running the state

Jade: Stop playing god... People are capable of making our own decisions including those of safety... You are a government for the people not a dictator!

David: I can understand what happened yesterday, although it ended in chaos because of bad planning. However to close all schools today with just the chance of a few showers and maybe a storm is a disgraceful out of control decision. Once again the Premier has shown none of the qualities required for leadership and it’s an utter embarrassment.

The Chief 1960: The Premier can see her COVID power trip is coming to an end and is looking at new ways to control the population

Steven: Yesterday was the last straw for me with Palachook, I was not frustrated, I was angry. The shear stupidity that a threat of a storm could make me pick up my kids from school makes me want to pack up and move overseas. Imagine if you fast forward the clock to our Olympics - a storm is predicted and all Olympic events are cancelled! The rest of the world would be like “what?”.

Ian: So we wake to a perfectly sunny clear day just like channel 7 news predicted last night when they said, “today’s storms had stabilised the atmosphere for tomorrow”. Anna Palaszczuk is desperate to regain popularity she has lost with the integrity crisis within her team. when covid was here she was “Keeping Queenslanders safe” then as covid started the settle and her team imploded with integrity issues her popularity plummeted and this. closing schools because it might rain, is a flawed attempt to remind Queenslanders that she can, “Still keep us safe”. Epic fail Anna, you blew it and now your lack of leadership and desperation is laid bare for all to see.

John: The daily scare the living daylight out of all who listened to the Premiers daily COVID ministrations is now past, so another subject has arrived so the scare campaign can continue - thunder/rain storms! So dangerous everyone MUST stay home for a few days.

Terry: She needs a distraction from the integrity crisis, COVID wasn’t available anymore, so now the weather is the go to distraction.What an absolute joke, people are getting sick of her closing the schools. Her media manager army should check out the polls on what people think of this latest stupid decision.

Grant B: This is how they managed the pandemic. Knee jerk decisions based on low probability scenarios. Anything to look like a saviour

Peter: Here’s an idea! Get out of our lives!

Chris: She just can’t let the daily briefings and total control over your lives go. She tasted the power during Covid and needs to retain it

Stephen: Queen Anna loves the drama and possible gets some kind of gratification from snapping her fingers and watching the sheep jump into action.

Davo: She can’t ‘keep us safe’ from COVID anymore so she’s using the same mantra to now protect us from cloud and a bit of rain. Wake up Queensland! This is all political spin designed to keep her in power. She’ll do whatever it takes to still be Premier when the Olympics come to town. We’re all being played for fools and if the last opinion polls are right, it’s sadly working.

Rob by the sea: What an over-reaction by the Premier, I remember the 5.00pm storms of the 70’s on the way home from school after sport. You sat at the train station or in a shop until the strong winds and hail passed and then continued home.

Susan: Overkill is an understatement stay home for 48 hours schools closed since when do we do that for a storm it’s summer we always have unpredictable weather at this time of year seriously

A man watches his home in floodwaters at Torwood Street, Auchenflower (Photo: Peter Wallis/Getty Images)

Ann: Absolutely ridiculous overkill. Students have now missed almost 3 weeks of term 1.

Peter: Every puffy grey cloud is now going to be warned as a potential apocalypse so the government can say we warned you. This is because of those who always want to blame someone else for their bad life decisions like living on a flood plain and not expecting it to flood.

S: Please STOP. It’s really really really annoying constantly closing schools and it wreaks havoc on kids, parents and teachers. Events, exams, excursions, sport, concerts, assemblies are all planned weeks & months in advance. It’s not unprecedented, it’s no ones fault if there are predicted storms, it’s called the weather, check the forecast and be aware and let’s get on with our lives. Please...

THE POSITIVE:

Alan: It was commonsense and good advice. Unless you have a crystal ball I don’t see how this could have proceeded another way.

Lianne: Complain if they do, complain if they don’t. Why does part of the population whinge and whine so much when mother nature does her thing? The powers that be can’t predict everything so perhaps not expecting them to would be a great starting point. Why not whack your hand up for the next election if you think you can do better?

Ruth: This has been a crazy week but I prefer the option of being safe than sorry. Weather predictions might now be wrong but we can handle another day of learning from home

TrustNoOne: Let’s not forget the community have screamed abuse at her and other leaders for not calling evacuations sooner last week. You could say it’s a case of “be damned if you do and be damned if you don’t”.

Sheri: All the indications from the weather forecasts and emergency services said there would be severe thunderstorms. If the State Government had just ignored the warnings, and if they had then happened as forecast, that would have led to disaster. She made the right decision given the circumstances and data at the time. We can be thankful nothing eventuated and hopefully still won’t.

John: I’m no fan of Anna - in fact I abhor her - and she was possibly a little shell-shocked and hyper-reactive from recent events when making decisions yesterday - but it’s unfair to blame her for taking pre-emptive steps in the face of dire warnings (made in good faith) from the BoM.