Coronavirus: Annastacia Palaszczuk ‘as one’ with Scott Morrison on border opening

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk insists she and Scott Morrison are ‘as one’ on wanting to reopen the state’s borders next month.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in Brisbane on Thursday. Picture: AAP

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk insists she and Scott Morrison are “as one” on wanting to reopen the state’s borders next month, as she resists growing pressure to allow interstate travel now.

The Prime Minister has said states should reopen their borders in July or risk losing public trust.

Ms Palaszczuk said she and Mr Morrison shared the same aim, ­despite suggesting last month that the border might not reopen until September.

“We are at one on this in terms of July, there’s no dissent on this,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“He has said July; I have said July.”

National cabinet will on Friday review the latest epidemiology evidence and consider the impact of the weekend’s mass rallies against Aboriginal deaths in ­custody.

Ms Palaszczuk will not reconsider the state’s border closure until the end of the month and will take into consideration the rate of community transmission in other states, particularly NSW and ­Victoria.

While Ms Palaszczuk said NSW had done a “great job”, she still held concerns about Victoria’s ability to contain the community spread of the virus.

She said she did not regret suggesting September as a possible date for the border reopening, saying the coronavirus situation was worse when she made those ­comments.

Pressure from the tourism and business industries is mounting on an earlier reopening of the border.

Businessman Clive Palmer said he could launch a class action against the Queensland government’s “irrational” border closures, as well as his High Court challenge.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland estimated $27bn in revenue could be lost in the June quarter if restrictions were not eased.

CCIQ advocacy and policy general manager Amanda Rohan said businesses needed the government to immediately move to relax the rules.

“The Premier has stated a border review is scheduled at the end of the month, but why can’t that review be brought forward, ­enabling an exact date of reopening the borders to be set,” Ms Rohan said.