Annastacia Palaszczuk accused of refusing to agree to opening plan

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has been accused of ‘scaremongering’ and ‘taking every opportunity’ to lockdown the state.

Annastacia Palaszczuk has been slammed by the Morrison government over Queensland’s harsh border stance and refusal to commit to a reopening plan.

Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews delivered a fiery serve to the Premier on Wednesday afternoon, accusing her of “scaremongering” and “taking every opportunity” to plunge the state into lockdown.

“It is really time that the Queensland premier starts to focus on how she is going to reopen Queensland and not take every available opportunity to shut Queensland down,” she said.

“Queenslanders have started to speak out. They have started to make it very clear that they want their life back, they want their borders to reopen, they want to be able to move across the Queensland and NSW border.”

The Premier has faced backlash over the pause on arrivals. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Ms Palaszczuk told parliament on Wednesday she wants more research into the impacts of Covid-19 on children and for this risk to be considered in the modelling preferred by national cabinet.

She also reinforced her intention to reserve the right to lockdown the state even when vaccination coverage reaches 80 per cent, defying advice from the Doherty Institute.

“Unless there is an answer on how these young people are going to be vaccinated, you are putting this most vulnerable population at risk,” she said.

“You open up this state and you let the virus in here, every child under 12 is vulnerable.”

This declaration invoked a furious response from the Home Affairs Minister, who accused Ms Palaszczuk of “scaremongering”.

“There is no country in the world that is vaccinating anyone under 12 years of age and Australia‘s Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly has made that very clear,” she said.

The lashing from Ms Andrews was one of many furious responses from the Morrison government on Wednesday over the border policy stance, following a hint of a High Court challenge from Attorney-General Michaelia Cash and a serving from the federal Treasurer.

“The country needs to learn to live with Covid,” Josh Frydenberg said.

Ms Andrews slammed the Queensland Premier. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

This comes after Ms Palaszczuk was forced to walk back her snap border closure for hotspot areas which meant the state’s own residents were locked out.

Ms Palaszczuk last Thursday ordered a two-week pause on arrivals from NSW, Victoria and the ACT, citing the hotel quarantine system was at capacity and at risk of posing a Covid-19 health risk.

But this pause will end five days ahead of what was originally flagged by the Premier after infuriating thousands and leaving the state’s own residents stranded.

She told parliament on Wednesday morning the state’s health department had approved 50 more places in hotel quarantine.

This easing of the unpopular policy will only allow less than 1 per cent of the hotel quarantine spots to be filled, however.

Ms Palaszczuk revealed last week that 5114 was the maximum health authorities were comfortable with accommodating.

“As of Saturday, Queensland residents can begin returning from interstate hot spots into hotel quarantine in Queensland,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“The pause on intake has only just begun.

“Numbers in our quarantine hotels have only slightly eased so we can offer places to 50 as a start but we will add more places as rooms become available.”

The Palaszczuk government faced widespread fury over its decision to allow cricket and rugby league stars, along with family members, to enter the state despite the pause on interstate arrivals.

About 100 NRL partners, families and officials jetted into the state on charter flights on Sunday after being granted an exemption by chief health officer Jeannette Young.

The contingent are staying at a designated hotel for the NRL which is not managed by Queensland Health, but the move has infuriated thousands trapped outside the state, leading Opposition Leader David Crisafulli to blast the premier.

“If there’s room for sporting families, then there’s room for Queensland families,” he told parliament on Tuesday afternoon.

Originally published as Annastacia Palaszczuk accused of refusing to agree to opening plan