‘A stunt’: Miles slams NSW, Feds over hotel quarantine bill

The Deputy Premier has called out both the NSW and Commonwealth governments after Queensland was handed a $30 million bill for hotel quarantine.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles has slammed a $30 million invoice from the NSW Government as a stunt which the Queensland Government wouldn’t fall for or pay.

And he claimed if the Commonwealth was responsible for quarantining dogs, cows and horses, then they should be for people.

NSW has given Queensland until March 19 to pay the bill for the 7112 residents which quarantined in NSW between March and September last year.

But Mr Miles said the Government still hadn’t billed NSW for its residents who had quarantined in Queensland.

“The bill they sent us was supposedly for 7000 Queenslanders but also for our share of 5000 other people who they didn’t even have addresses for,” he said.

“Why should Queensland taxpayers have to foot the bill when New South Wales can’t even get the address of the people that they’re billing us for.

“I think the Morrison Government need to answer why they are allowing thousands of people to come back into the country that jumped the queue ahead of other Australians who don’t even have a residential address in Australia.”

Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Mr Miles yesterday said Queensland would not be paying the bill while the Commonwealth refused to endorse the state’s plan for a national quarantine centre.

“I’m not sure what other states are doing but we have put forward a national quarantine proposal,” he said.

“We can’t have our hotels tied up for quarantine forever.

“We are calling on the Morrison Government to support our proposal for the Wellcamp Airport.

“Put it this way ... if you’re a horse, or a dog or a cow, then the Commonwealth Government is responsible for your quarantine, but if you’re a person all of a sudden they say that’s up to the states.”

Mr Miles said if the NSW Government was genuine about “saying states should pay their bills”, then they should pay their bill for their residents.

“There is an agreement in place that says that they should fund those services and they’ve just flatly refused,” he said.

“I think this was a bit of a stunt.

“I think them sending us an invoice was a bit of a stunt but we won’t be falling for it.”

Mr Miles said the NSW Government still owed Queensland $20 million for health care delivered to NSW residents which they’ve “refused to pay for”.

“We expect them to pay for those hospital services,” he said.

“We will continue to pursue the Morrison Government to support our national quarantine initiative.”

Originally published as ‘A stunt’: Miles slams NSW, Feds over hotel quarantine bill