Labor divided as Richard Marles takes swipe at Annastacia Palaszczuk

Richard Marles has slapped down Qld Premier’s undermining of national plan.

Deputy Labor leader Richard Marles. Picture: David Geraghty

Deputy Labor leader Richard Marles has slapped down Annastacia Palaszczuk’s undermining of the national plan for living with Covid-19, saying “we need to be following the health advice” on dealing with the pandemic.

But Mr Marles did not get the backing of Anthony ­Albanese, who said the Queensland Premier was “doing a fantastic job”.

Mr Marles said he did not want to see Australia in “one extra day of lockdown than it needs to be”, after Ms Palaszczuk warned reopening the state borders under the national plan could risk the health of children under 12.

“I would be distancing myself from the comments of Annastacia,” Mr Marles told the Nine Network. “We need to be following the health advice when it comes to the impact and who we should be vaccinating when.

“You can understand state premiers standing up for their states. That’s what they’re elected to do. But at the end of the day we need a national interest here.”

But the Opposition Leader ­refused to criticise Ms Palaszczuk, who had claimed more than 2200 people a month would die if restrictions eased when 70 per cent of the population was vaccinated.

“Today in Queensland there are no deaths and no positive Covid people,” Mr Albanese said. “In NSW, we have 12 deaths, tragically, today. That makes it 119 deaths. We have an additional 1431 cases.

“Premier Palaszczuk has my absolute support in keeping Queenslanders safe, as do all the state premiers who’ve made decisions which are difficult, including Western Australia, Tasmania (and) South Australia.”

When asked if under 12s being vaccinated should delay reopening, Mr Albanese said: “We’re nowhere near there yet.

“What is the plan for under-12s? What planning is being put in place? That’s what parents are worried about. Parents see pictures about children getting this disease.”