LNP claims ACT border closure to keep them off campaign trail

Irate federal politicians have slammed Annastacia Palaszczuk for “politicising” border controls, with claims it was part of a ruse to lock out key LNP figures out of Queensland.

Irate federal politicians have slammed Annastacia Palaszczuk for “politicising” border controls, with claims it was part of a ruse to lock out key LNP figures – and the Prime Minister – from the state election campaign.

Federal politicians travelling to Canberra for the resumption of parliament from today face a mandatory 14-day home quarantine when they return from the ACT, which is a declared hot spot despite having no cases.

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Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has found some allies in his attack on the Palaszczuk Government’s border closures. Picture: NCA NewsWire /Gary Ramage

Three Coalition backbenchers publicly savaged the medical justification, while others have questioned behind the scenes the medical justification because the ACT has only recorded six cases since late May and has no community transmission.

Health Minister Steven Miles said the Chief Health Officer not Ms Palaszczuk declared hot spots “based on the level of community transmission”.

However he said the ACT declaration was not based on community transmission in the ACT but because of an “unacceptable risk that people in NSW can access it to gain entry into Queensland”.

A Courier-Mail survey of all Queensland MPs and senators found 24 of them, including 16 from the LNP, seven from Labor and independent Bob Katter were scheduled to attend at least some of the upcoming parliamentary fortnight in person.

But 14 others are set to make history as part of the first group of politicians to log in remotely to the Australian parliament, under rules agreed to late last week.

The list includes nine from the LNP, both One Nation senators, two from Labor and the lone Queensland Greens Senator Larissa Waters.

Four LNP MPs did not respond to The Courier-Mail.

Coalition members, who take up 29 of Queensland’s 42 elected positions, said parliamentarians should face the same rules as the general public but questioned the medical advice behind the ACT border closure.

Under the current parliamentary calendar any member attending all remaining sittings could spend a maximum of 10 days in Queensland outside their homes from October 5 to December 31.

For the rest of the time, they would either be in Canberra or home quarantine including through the October election campaign.

Fisher MP Andrew Wallace said the government had only provided evidence of one person using the ACT to attempt to dodge Queensland’s NSW border ban and they had been caught.

“Everything the premier is doing she is doing out of rank populism because she thinks it’s going to deliver more votes for her on the 31st of October,” Mr Wallace said.

“I am better off to stay in Canberra (after the Budget) and do Zoom meetings with my constituents and businesses and then my committee work in Canberra but from a state Labor Party perspective that’s where they want us, anywhere but in Queensland.”

LNP Senator James McGrath, who has gone to Canberra, accused the Premier of playing politics with the border and “using the coronavirus as an alibi to cover up Labor’s shite economic record”.

Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch, who will attend parliament remotely, said “Canberra has had a longer period of time without any cases than what Queensland’s had”.

Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch says Queensland’s declaration of the ACT as a coronavirus hot spot looks like a political decision. Picture: Brendan Radke

“It really calls into question whether the Premier is making decisions now in the state’s best interest, or whether she has one eye on the state election in a month or two’s time.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday that National Cabinet was seeking a clear definition of a hot spot to bring transparency to the measure.

Queensland Health’s website does not provide any specific definition of what a hot spot is and has rebuffed questions seeking detailed data behind its decisions.

On Friday Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton challenged Mr Miles on Twitter to “release the health advice that is telling you to shut the borders”.

“Or is it just all about the election in October? You are destroying livelihoods," he wrote.

Mr Miles said the Chief Health Officer made decisions to “stop the spread of the virus not curtail the Prime Minister’s travel”.

“I’m shocked to hear there are politicians out there who think they should be treated differently to everybody else,” he said.

Originally published as LNP claims ACT border closure to keep them off campaign trail