Border closures: Qantas CEO Alan Joyce slams state premiers over borders

State premiers have been accused of shutting down their borders to win votes rather than save lives, costing hundreds of jobs and devastating the economy.

State premiers have been accused of keeping borders shut to win elections rather than save lives.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce and tourism industry groups have warned today that politics was driving the decisions rather than medical advice and hundreds of jobs would be lost as a result.

The blow up over border closures follows claims in a parliamentary inquiry today that Queensland and the Northern Territory are keeping borders closed to win elections in defiance of medical advice.

“When you have states with zero cases closing their borders to states with zero cases, there doesn’t seem to be any medical reason or health reason or any logical reason for those to remain closed,” Mr Joyce told Sky News.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has accused state premiers of shutting down their borders for political gain rather than medical reasons. Picture: Flavio Brancaleone/NCA NewsWire

“When do borders close? Because they may have to close again in the future. When do they open? And at the moment it doesn’t seem to be medically or scientifically based.

“It seems to be more politically driven.”

The blow up over border closures follows claims in a parliamentary inquiry today that Queensland and the Northern Territory are keeping borders closed to win elections rather than for medical reasons.

But Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk slammed Health Minister Greg Hunt’s call for her to act with “common decency” on border closures and urged him to start acting on aged care deaths.

Ms Palaszczuk, who faces the polls on October 31, was responding to Mr Hunt’s calls for Queensland to allow regional NSW residents to access medical treatment where it was closer.

“I’m showing a lot of decency,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“It’s about time Greg Hunt focuses on aged care and issues in Victoria and stops trying to raise every other issue about Queensland.”

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has clapped back at criticisms of her state’s border closures. Picture: Dan Peled/NCA NewsWire

Australians have also been urged to quit sitting and around spending their money on online shopping in lockdown and book a holiday at home if they want to save tourism jobs.

Tourism Accommodation Australia chair Martin Ferguson said the key to recovery was reopening the borders safely.

“From the hotel, to the pubs, to the clubs. We saw some pick up through May and June,’’ he said. “But the closure of Victoria has really put us back on our backsides

“No government handouts are going to solve our problems. We are in survival mode.”

Australian Tourism Industry Council spokesman Simon Westaway said the “double down” by the states on borders despite improving numbers was galling.

“It’s an $84 million impact a day. The biggest net loser out of this is Queensland,’’ he said.