Annastacia Palaszczuk border backflip breaking businesses, opposition leader says

“Are we seriously going to say in the middle of winter someone from the Tweed can have a martini in Melbourne but not a beer in Burleigh?”

WHILE Annastacia Palaszczuk was confirming she’d meet with Gold Coast stakeholders, across the city Queensland opposition leader Deb Frecklington was questioning the Premier’s border plan backflip.

While speaking to media at The Star, the Premier announced it was “highly unlikely” the border would open before July.

Ms Palaszczuk has repeatedly said she was acting on health advice and would “not put Queenslanders at risk.”

But Ms Frecklington says the city needs certainty.

Speaking this morning outside Surfers Paradise business Costa D’Oro Italian Restaurant, Ms Frecklington took aim at the argy-bargy between the NSW and Queensland state governments.

Queensland Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington Queensland Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington questions Annastacia Palaszczuk’s backflip on border plan (AAP Image/Dan Peled)

RELATED

Death by a thousand cuts for Coast tourism

Business leaders to grill Premier over border plan

How much border closure could cost Queensland

Qld Premier criticised for ‘hanging out with celebrities

“Queenslanders don’t want a Premier who is more interested in fighting with other Premiers, they want a Premier who’s going to fight for their jobs,” the Queensland LNP leader said.

“We are hearing choruses of people who are in the depths of the darkest depression because of COVID-19.

“That is exactly why we need the Premier to give these businesses certainty and clarity around issues such as the border closure.

“If the Premier said to business owners the borders will open on July 10, get yourself ready for that June, July school holiday, well then that’s the decision the Premier should stick to.

Costa D'Oro manager Gene Fusco in an empty Orchid Ave, hoping the borders will open soon. Picture Glenn Hampson

“We need to have the Premier today rule out that she is going to stick to September or sometime later.”

After Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said there is no medical reason for state borders to remain closed, the opposition leader has questioned the Palaszczuk Government’s medical advice.

“If the Premier has health advice that says that the borders should be closed until up to September well then table it,” Ms Frecklington said.

“Put the advice before us so we can see it.”

Opposition tourism spokesman David Crisafulli. Photo: PETER CARRUTHERS

Shadow Tourism Minister David Crisafulli said the backflip from the Premier on her own road map to ease restrictions had pulled the rug out from under local businesses.

“I have spent the last couple of weeks under Deb’s instructions talking to people who have tourism businesses right across the state, and they are hurting,” he said

“They are hurting because they were given a road map and they did everything they were asked of, and they wanted to do their best to be open for those July holidays.

“Are we seriously going to say in the middle of winter someone from the Tweed can have a martini in Melbourne but not a beer in Burleigh?”

An empty Coolangatta beach on the Queensland-New South Wales border, Friday, May 22, 2020. Businesses in the border town would normally be busy this time of year but are suffering due to the State enforced border closure in place since March. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

Surfers Paradise MP John-Paul Langbroek said businesses and people waiting to work again need certainty when the State Government makes their announcements.

“We’ve had no certainty when it comes to June the 12th or July, which is when they were going to open the borders,” he said

“No certainty when the premier said it was going to be July and now supposedly it’s going to be September.”