NSW, Qld border closures: Gladys Berejiklian grilled on Today show

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian had a blunt response when asked about her talks with the Queensland premier after the border closure.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has revealed her Queensland counterpart Annastacia Palaszczuk “has not called or contacted” her amid suggestions the Queensland border will be locked down even further.

Ms Berejiklian was grilled on her communication with the Queensland premier by Today co-host Karl Stefanovic this morning.

“We see each other in National Cabinet and I will leave it at that, Karl,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“She has not called me or contacted me. We have been trying really hard with the Victorian border, (Victorian Premier) Daniel Andrews and I are in constant contact about that and it is really hard.

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“When you have a border closure it affects so many people you don’t intend to affect and for the people on our southern boardies can I apologise for any angst that we have caused you.
“We are working every day to make sure that people who need to get through are doing it freely and trying to keep people safe and striking that balance.”

Stefanovic told the Premier he found it “a little astounding” both state leaders weren’t discussing the Queensland-NSW border directly.

“Look, I would welcome that and we do share border communities and especially, when you have to share hospitals and airports,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“Can I say managing the Queensland-New South Wales border is a million times easier than managing the Victorian-New South Wales border. The Victorian-New South Wales border has 55 different crossings. Queensland-New South Wales is far easier to manage. I am sure we could sort it out if I had that opportunity.”

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NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says her Queensland counterpart hasn’t spoken to her about a potential harder closure of the border. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Flavio Brancaleone

Stefanovic kept pushing and said: “It sounds like you have tried but maybe the Queensland Premier is just not that into you?”

“Can we just change the subject and move forward?” Ms Berejiklian replied.

Later on the show, Today co-host Allison Langdon asked Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton if the lack of communication between the states made National Cabinet “a joke”.

“No, it is not, but when you get a Premier like Annastacia Palaszczuk making announcements about border closures when Gladys Berejiklian is doing a press conference and she is caught out, the question is asked of her and she knows nothing about it, she hadn’t been contacted by Queensland, you would imagine she would be a bit miffed. I think it is childish,” Mr Dutton said.

Mr Dutton said there was a “growing mood” in Queensland the border had become a political issue.

“You see brochures now going out into letterboxes in marginal seats and what not, and Annastacia Palaszczuk is walking a fine line here,” he said.

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Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Dan Peled

“People will be cynical if they think these decisions are being made for political reasons and her break down in the relationship with the New South Wales Premier, particularly for those people who live in the Tweed or on the Gold Coast, is negatively impacting on those lives and businesses and it is unacceptable.”

Ms Palaszczuk has closed Queensland to all travellers from Victoria and NSW but there have been provisions for people in border communities who need to cross the state line regularly.

Now, there are fears of huge disruptions to border residents after Ms Palaszczuk flagged a harder border lockdown, saying Queensland remained “at risk” from cases in NSW.

“The danger is still on our doorstep,” Ms Palaszczuk told state parliament yesterday. “As of this morning NSW has had 297 active cases. We have nine. NSW has had 96 cases in the past week. They’re having to take appropriate measures.

“Like Victoria we wish New South Wales every success in containing the virus. But Queensland isn’t taking any chances.

“Our borders will remain closed for as long as the risk remains.”

Ms Palaszczuk reportedly blindsided Ms Berejiklian when she announced in July that travellers from the Greater Sydney region would be banned from entering Queensland. That ban has since been extended to all of NSW.

“It would have been nice if she told me,” Ms Berejiklian said of the July 29 announcement.

“The economic consequences of this (decision) in Queensland or South Australia will hurt much more than it hurts NSW.”