‘There’s an election’: PM responds to Premier’s ‘rhetoric’ over borders

Scott Morrison has dismissed comments from the Queensland Premier that he’s “singled out” the state over border restrictions.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has dismissed comments from the Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk that he’d “singled out” the state in comments over border restrictions, saying the Premier has “amped up” her rhetoric because it’s an election year.

Mr Morrison has said he “wasn’t surprised” at the harsh comments from Queensland’s Premier yesterday, saying “there’s an election in Queensland”.

Yesterday Ms Palaszczuk lashed out at the Prime Minister, saying he should be able to “bring all of the states and territories together”.

“Frankly, I‘m a bit sick that Queensland has been singled out as opposed to South Australia, and Tasmania, just to name a few,” she said.

Asked about the comments from the Premier on the Today show this morning, the Prime Minister said it was politicking.

“There is an election in Queensland. I‘m not surprised the rhetoric is amping up,” Mr Morrison said.

“Look, we’re keeping all of the country together, to focus on this. I made similar comments about the changes in borders in South Australia. I think you can file that under a Queensland election.”

Asked if he’d been frustrated by the states’ refusal to comply with federal advice on internal borders, Mr Morrison said it was “never a National Cabinet decision to have internal borders”.

“That was never the medical expert advice that was given to National Cabinet. States have gone their own way,” he said.

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RELATED: Queensland Premier takes swipe at PM over borders

Mr Morrison said he ‘wasn't surprised the political rhetoric was amping up’, saying Qld has an election coming up.

"No system is perfect and Australia is still far ahead of the rest of the world." Prime Minister Scott Morrison on the Victorian premier launching a probe into hotel staff protocol breaches. #9Today pic.twitter.com/hqbhS3SFYq

— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) June 30, 2020

“The reason the other states haven‘t had the same impacts they haven’t had the same impacts they haven’t had the same number of remembering travellers that have come into Sydney and Melbourne.

“My comments have been about keeping the economy and getting the economy open.”

Ms Palaszczuk appeared on the program earlier, and said she hoped she was “still friends” with the Prime Minister.

She said the advice she’d been given about border closures was “clear”.

Queensland’s Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Picture: David Kapernick

“It has stood Queensland in very good stead. We have had zero cases now for many, many days, and we have very few deaths, thank goodness, still we've had tragically some people that have died. We are in such a good position,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“I stayed silent for a long time. And frankly I got a bit sick of it, look we work very well in the National Cabinet and I hope that continues.”