Coronavirus: Queensland Premier Anastacia Palaszczuk hints at Christmas reopening

After ‘very encouraging’ Covid-19 results, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has hinted at welcomming Victorians to her state by Christmas.

Queensland Premier Anastacia Palaszczuk during Question time at Queensland Parliament. Picture: Peter Wallis

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says the state could ­reopen to Victoria by Christmas after “very encouraging” COVID-19 results, but is continuing her row with NSW counterpart Gladys Berejiklian and standing firm on a monthly review of border bans.

Emboldened by her decisive election victory, Ms Palaszczuk said she would only review her border rules — which currently lock out greater Sydney and Victioria — at the end of each month, and only lift the bans if advised to by state Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young.

Ms Palaszczuk refused calls to consider the borders more frequently than at the end of each month. “That’s what we’ve ­decided to do, and it gives people certainty,” she said.

While Queensland recorded no new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, and Victoria also had another zero-case day, NSW recorded four new locally transmitted cases.

Ms Palaszczuk said early signs in Victoria had been “very encouraging” and Queensland could ­reopen to that state by Christmas “if it continues with these really good results”.

The stoush between the two premiers continued, after Ms ­Berejiklian said she received no ­response from Ms Palaszczuk to a Sunday text message congratulating her on her re-election and asking to speak about border closures. Ms Palaszczuk eventually texted after Queensland’s State of Origin win on Wednesday night, saying only “Queenslander!”

After Ms Berejiklian said on Thursday she did not know whether to be “shocked or ­bemused” by Ms Palaszczuk’s text, her Queensland counterpart said she was just having fun. She ­denied she had not called Ms Berejiklian back.

“I’m always happy to speak to Gladys, she has my phone number, but it’s a bit misleading for her to go and tell the media that she’s phoned me when she did not phone me,” she said. “If you can’t have a bit of fun with State of ­Origin, every NSW and Queensland premier has had bets and talked about the State of Origin. Obviously, NSW was a little bit upset that the mighty Maroons won.”

Counting is continuing after Saturday’s election, with three LNP-held seats still in doubt: Bundaberg in regional Queensland, Currumbin on the Gold Coast and Nicklin on the Sunshine Coast. LNP incumbent ­Michael Hart saw off Labor candidate and former pro surfer Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew in Burleigh. Ms Palaszczuk is unlikely to announce her new cabinet — replacing three retiring ministers, one from each faction — until late next week at the earliest, with the postal vote deadline not until Tuesday evening. If Labor wins Nicklin, but not Currumbin or Bundaberg, the Premier’s Right faction could score an extra ­ministry. Linus Power, Charis Mullen and Duncan Pegg are frontrunners for the extra spot.

MPs likely to be promoted include Townsville Right faction MP Scott Stewart, Gold Coast-based MP Meaghan Scanlon of the dominant Left faction, and third-term Old Guard MP Leanne Linard. New Mundingburra MP Les Walker, a former deputy mayor, is an outside possibility for the Townsville-based ministry.

Industrial Relations and Education Minister Grace Grace is ­expected to be elevated into the position on the powerful four-person cabinet budget review committee left vacant by retiring tourism minister Kate Jones.