Scott Morrison urges Qld to have compassion over Mark Kilian quarantine case

After being chided for not working harder to find a ‘workable and compassionate’ fix to allow a man to visit his dying father in Queensland, Annastacia Palaszczuk says she will try to help... providing the NSW Government delivers some crucial documents.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says the state will now do “everything it can” to facilitate the reunion of a man stuck in NSW isolation, while his father is close to derath in a Queensland hospital, as long as NSW can prove the man has an exemption to leave quarantine.

Mr Kilian and his wife Anneli Gericke are stuck in isolation in Sydney, after travelling from the United States to visit Mr Kilian’s father in Queensland.

Despite being reportedly granted exemptions by the Department of Home Affairs and NSW Health, the couple have been denied an exemption by Queensland Health four times.

They are both fully vaccinated and have tested negative for Covid-19 a number of times.

The couple fear by the time they are released from quarantine, Mr Kilian’s father Frans will have already passed away from terminal pancreatic cancer.

Mark Kilian and his wife Anneli Gericke have been refused entry into Queensland as Mark's father dies from pancreatic cancer in hospital.

In a scathing letter published online, the Prime Minister had earlier expressed his “disappointment” that the Queensland Government knocked back Mark Kilian from visiting his dying father in hospital.

Now, Ms Palaszczuk has demanded NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirm in writing Mr Kilian has an exemption to leave quarantine – which she has repeatedly confirmed since his plight became public.

“If they can provide Dr Young with how they’ll safely be transferred from Sydney to the Gold Coast we of course will do everything we can to facilitate the reunion with his father at the earliest convenience,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“They have to put that forward today.”

The NSW Government and Mr Kilian had previously outlined plans to charter a private plane from Sydney to the Gold Coast.

Ms Palaszczuk said, if the notification is provided, Queensland Health would facilitate a visit “as quickly and as comfortably as possible”.

“No one wants to see people not see their relatives,” the Premier said.

“I lost my grandmother a year ago - this week is very sad for me so it’s very sad for other people in the exact same situation.”

Pressed on why her hard “no” to an exemption had softened, Ms Palaszczuk said the 14-day quarantine rule was a national standard which was now being disregarded.

“It’s great to see the Prime Minister Scott Morrison wants to go away from those national standards - we need to address all that at National Cabinet,” she said.

“We’ve got a letter here from Scott Morrison saying now this is now a new standard.

“If he is happy to have the new standard I am more than happy to facilitate it.”

The couple wrote to Prime Minister Scott Morrison asking for his help.

But, in a letter dated on June 22, Mr Morrison said he did not have the authority to “step in and provide exemptions from hotel quarantine for travel into Queensland”.

He also expressed his disappointment in Queensland authorities for their handling of the situation, despite Mr Killian and his wife having done “everything (they) possibly can to see (his) father”.

“Having farewelled my own father early last year, I know how important these times are to families,” he wrote.

“I appreciate the restrictions and border closures have been frustrating and indeed heartbreaking, for many Australians – and all levels of government are making decisions to keep Australia safe.

“I know what an important time this is for you and that you can never get these days back. I am disappointed the Queensland government has not found a workable and compassionate solution.

“ … Under our federation, these decisions are made by the Queensland Government.”

Mark Kilian is in quarantine & trying to see his Dad in Qld before he dies.

He’s fully vaccinated & has tested negative for covid.

He has just received this from @ScottMorrisonMP as he tries to get permission to enter QLD from NSW. Ball in @QldGov court #[e-mail]/J4CSMMVn5K

— Tim Arvier (@TimArvier9) June 22, 2021

On Tuesday, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk admitted the situation was “absolutely tragic”, but said the national guidelines existed for a reason.

But, she said if the Federal Government was prepared to talk to both Queensland and NSW, she would be “happy to facilitate that”.

“But this (hotel quarantine) applies to everybody,” she said.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian had previously asked her counterparts to show compassion, calling for decisions about situations such as the Kilians’ to be based on “human dignity”.

“NSW has always tried to have a compassionate approach, especially when there are circumstances such as this one,” she said when asked about the case recently.

Health Minister Greg Hunt on Tuesday said in a letter the only thing standing between Mr Kilian and his dying father was the Palaszczuk Government.

Health Minister Greg Hunt, in a strongly worded letter to his Queensland counterpart on Tuesday, said the matter of granting Mark Kilian an exemption “clearly falls” within the responsibility of the state government.

“I am surprised and concerned that you have felt it necessary to seek clarification on these longstanding public health arrangements,” Mr Hunt wrote.

“I understand that the Commonwealth chief medical officer has reconfirmed these longstanding arrangements with your chief health officer today (June 22) also.

“This matter clearly falls within your responsibility and we would urge you to show compassion.

“We are aware of other cases where safely supervised compassionate arrangements have been rejected by the Queensland Government and we hope this is not a further case.”

Originally published as Scott Morrison urges Qld to have compassion over Mark Kilian quarantine case