Queensland’s next premier refused to pay state’s hotel quarantine bill

Steven Miles ripped up a bill for Queensland’s hotel quarantine costs in a 2021 stunt

The incoming Premier of Queensland still owes NSW more than $100 million in unpaid hotel quarantine bills.

Steven Miles – who will be anointed as the next Queensland Premier on Friday following a backroom union deal – was the man who sensationally ripped up his state’s hotel quarantine bill owed to NSW taxpayers in a 2021 stunt attacking then prime minister Scott Morrison.

The stunt came after The Daily Telegraph revealed that the Sunshine State had failed to pay a cent of the almost $40 million NSW spent putting up Queensland citizens in hotel quarantine, before the cost fell to individuals.

In August, Treasurer Daniel Mookhey revealed the total bill was actually $105 million.

The money was spent by NSW taxpayers putting up Queensland citizens in Sydney hotels at the start of the Covid pandemic.

Steven Miles will be confirmed as Queensland’s next Premier on Friday. Picture: NCA NewsWire

When the hotel quarantine scheme began, state treasurers agreed that each state would pick up the tab for their citizens – because the majority of returning Australians were housed in Sydney.

The agreement was made at a meeting of state treasurerers in April 2020, and afterwards then-treasurer Dominic Perrottet issued multiple invoices to the Queensland government in a bid to get them to pay up.

Treasurers agreed to foot the bill for their citizens going through hotel quarantine interstate when the scheme was established. Picture: NCA NewsWire

Mr Miles sensationally ripped up one of those invoices in a social media stunt, announcing the money would never be paid.

“Scott Morrison has given the go ahead for NSW to send Queensland taxpayers a $30 million bill for their quarantine program, even though it’s 100% a federal responsibility.

Former NSW treasurer and premier Dominic Perrottet.

“He’s like a school bully telling us we have to give our lunch money to New South Wales.

“We’re not going to pay this bill, not while the Commonwealth refuses to endorse our plan for a national quarantine centre,” Mr Miles said.

Mr Mookhey told 2GB earlier this year that NSW would look to find ways of recouping the money, including by deducting money from payments NSW is sending to Queensland.

Treasurer Daniel Mookhey revealed in August that Queensland owes NSW $105 million. Picture: NCA NewsWire

That never came to pass; bureaucrats advised it was not possible.

Mr Mookhey declined to comment when contacted on Wednesday.

A spokeswoman for Mr Miles said he would not be making any comments ahead of Friday’s caucus vote.

Originally published as Queensland’s next premier refused to pay state’s hotel quarantine bill