Today hosts grill Queensland Premier over elections: ‘It doesn’t pass the pub test’

Karl Stefanovic has grilled the Queensland Premier over a controversial decision he says “doesn’t pass the pub test.”

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk copped an on-air grilling from Karl Stefanovic this morning over the decision to proceed with the state’s local council elections over the weekend.

Amid unprecedented social distancing measures, Queenslanders were still forced to the polling booths on Saturday, having to vote in person or risk a $133 fine.

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“When we talk about these strict quarantine measures that are in place – Scott Morrison coming out last night saying no more than two people gather – it makes it pretty hard to believe that Saturday's vote in Queensland went ahead. We saw vision of elderly people walking out of the voting booth. How was that not putting lives at risk?” Stefanovic asked the Premier.

Karl and Ally grill the Queensland Premier on Today.

“If my chief medical officer says it was safe it is safe to do so,” Ms Palaszczuk said. “Those elections are done and dusted.”

The Today hosts asked the Premier if she would’ve been happy to send an elderly relative to the polling booths on Saturday.

“Absolutely, because the clear advice was you are OK to go and vote because it was safe to do so. The health officer said that,” she insisted.

“Queenslanders are pretty patient, Premier. As you would know, it didn't pass the pub test,” Stefanovic said.

“Well, Karl, I said yesterday and I will say it to you again – we listen to the experts here. I took the advice of the chief medical officer. You can go on about this at length, but if you are not listening to the experts who are you listen to? If they told me to cancel the election I would have cancelled them,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk stands by the advice of her chief medical officer.

Asked if she had “no second thoughts” about proceeding with the elections, the Premier insisted it was “much safer to do that than going to Dan Murphys or going to a crowded supermarket where everyone is jostling each other”.

Last week, Today co-host Ally Langdon slammed the decision to go ahead with the elections as “downright dangerous.”

“This is something I cannot believe this morning. Queensland is pressing ahead with tomorrow's local council elections. This is at a time when we are pleading with people, ‘Stay home, limit your movements’. Why hasn’t Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk called this off? It doesn’t seem right,” Langdon said.

“I think it is downright dangerous and it’s a decision that could cost lives, because if you don’t turn up you could cop a fine of $133,” she said.

Many people took to social media saying they would rather cop the fine than risk getting infected.