Queensland election: Morrison slams Palaszczuk over coronavirus border dispute
Annastacia Palaszczuk is on ‘high alert’ after NSW recorded 12 new cases of coronavirus overnight - most of them the result of community transmision - but has not ruled out reopening the border on November 1. Her deputy today said the state would likely be told of a border decision before the October 31 election.
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Queenslanders are likely to be told if the NSW border will reopen before the state election, Health Minister Steven Miles says.
The Palaszczuk Government has said the border could reopen on November 1 under a COVID-19 recovery ‘road map’ released last week.
But the Government has said that this hinges on there being no new community transmissions in NSW for 28 days.
NSW has been hit by a worrying spike in COVID-19, with 12 new cases today.
Queensland recorded no new cases, with the number of active cases droppiong to four.
Speaking on the Gold Coast on Thursday, Mr Miles said it was the State Government’s “hope” that a decision on the border could be announced before Queenslanders go to the polls on October 31.
“As we did last month, we announced with about a week’s notice that the border zone would be extended,” he said.
“We’d hope to be able to give that kind of notice again this month.”
Mr Miles joined the premier in turning the attack back on Ms Berejiklian over her border stance.
He said the 28-day community transmission threshold had been agreed to by all state, territory and Commonwealth chief health officers.
“The Premier of NSW can choose to reject that health advice but it’s that health advice that has kept Queensland and Queenslanders safe,” he said.
“I also note that the Premier of NSW … said that she was very concerned about the level of community transmission. So if she is concerned about the situation in NSW well of course so are we.”
Prime Minister Scott Morrison again slammed Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk today over the ongoing border dispute.
Ms Palasczuk will not rule out reopening the border on November 1, but says she’s on “high alert” after Ms Berejiklian told her residents to be “on high alert”.
Ms Palaszczuk, touring Townsville on day three of the election campaign, admitted she had not spoken to Ms Berejiklian for “two or three weeks,” but insisted the pair had a good working relationship.
“We are going to be looking at those (NSW) cases, I’m looking forward to seeing what the Premier of NSW has to say,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
She quoted Ms Berejiklian telling NSW residents to “continue to be vigilant and continue to be on high alert”.
“Now that puts me on high alert,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
Of her relationship with Ms Berejiklian, Ms Palaszczuk said she thought they spoke “two or three weeks ago, from memory”.
“I’m always happy to speak to her, she hasn’t made an effort to contact me, I’m more than happy (to have her contact me),” she said.
On the 28-day community transmission rule, Ms Palaszczuk said it had been possible for other states to achieve.
“It’s happened in Tasmania, it’s happened in SA, it’s happened in WA before, and it’s happened in Queensland,” she said.
“I’m the Premier of Queensland, and my job is to keep Queenslanders safe, if the NSW Premier is saying she’s on high alert about these new cases, I’m on high alert.
Asked whether that meant she would rule out November 1 as the reopening date, Ms Palaszczuk said: “I’m not ruling anything out…there is another 24 hours for them to look at where those cases have come from”.
“I’ve said all along, NSW is in school holidays, we’ll be watching that very closely over the next couple of weeks.”
Ms Palaszczuk rejected Ms Berejiklian’s allegation she was “making every excuse” to keep the border closed.
“No, not at all. I want to see the day where all of Australia opens up, but for that to happen we need to make sure that community transmission is under control.
And on Ms Berejiklian’s claim Queensland’s COVID-19 response hasn’t been properly tested because the borders have been shut, Ms Palaszczuk again rubbished the suggestion.
“I say you only have to look at the record of Queenslanders. It’s Queenslanders who have responded to everything we’ve asked them to do,” she said.
“(Dr Jeannette Young)’s health advice has kept Queenslanders safe. That’s my job, that’s my job, to keep Queenslanders safe.”
She said Dr Young spoke to her NSW counterpart on an almost-daily basis.
Earlier today, Mr Morrison again questioned Queensland’s border strategy, saying “is he for jobs or not” during an interview on 2GB in Sydney.
“The other day she was saying she was all for jobs but being all for jobs means you’ve got to balance the risks that you face like New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian is.
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“They’re managing to basically keep cases to an incredibly low level, they’re doing a great job with their testing and tracing regime … dealing with outbreaks, getting New South Wales open.
“Queensland can do the same thing.
“I want to see people back in jobs … the number of people who have come back in to jobs in New South Wales since we hit the pit of that COVID-recession is a 70 per cent increase.
“In Queensland, it’s 44 per cent.”
The Federal Budget unveiled earlier in the week was heavily structured around job creation, but the Prime Minister said Australians can’t capitalise on this until borders are open.
“We need Queenslanders back in jobs,” he said.
“That’s why we’ve done the hiring credits, that’s why we’ve put in the incentive for investment, that’s why we’re bring forward tax cuts, and that’s why we’re bring forward infrastructure projects.
“I want to get Queenslanders back in jobs just like I want to get New South Wales people back in jobs but for that, you’ve got to be open.”
Thursday, 8 October – coronavirus cases in Queensland:
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) October 8, 2020
• 0 new confirmed cases
• 4 active cases
• 1,160 total confirmed cases
• 1,144,809 tests conducted
Sadly, six Queenslanders with COVID-19 have died. 1,149 patients have recovered.#covid19 pic.twitter.com/CJwxxFGIeE
Ms Berejiklian joined the chorus, accusing the Queensland Government of “changing the goalposts” over coronavirus policies.
“I’ve never heard of this rule where you have to have two days to make sure you link your cases to an existing case,” the NSW Premier told ABC Breakfast. “I mean, that’s just something they plucked out of, I don’t know where.
“Not only have they set a benchmark which I think is unrealistic, because in a pandemic, in a place like NSW, with eight million people, when you are keeping your economy open, of course you’re going to have cases from time to time. But it’s how you manage that. It’s how you get on top of that.
“I’m just really disturbed by what I’ve heard from the Queensland Government and I hope that they really see beyond the borders of Queensland. We’re all Australians. Yes, we’re from different states of Australia, but we’re also all Australians. And Australians are suffering.
“Let’s reduce the suffering and the angst. Let’s support businesses, get tourism going. We can do that and we should.”
The Prime Minister also said he’s keen to head up to the Sunshine State to throw his support behind the Liberal-National Party contender Deb Frecklington.
“I would love to get up to Queensland,” he told 4BC.
“In Queensland, in particular, the tourism and hospitality industry and the aviation industry has taken an enormous hit and so that’s why I’ve been keen to see things open up in Queensland.”
Ms Palaszczuk’s tough border restrictions have frustrated political counterparts across the country in recent months and starved holiday-makers of a beachside escape in the Sunshine State.
But it appears the policies have worked among the Labor leader’s constituents, with her management of the coronavirus crisis leading to a surge in popularity from just 29 per cent in February to 57 per cent in the latest YouGov Poll.
According to the exclusive The Courier Mail poll, Labor now leads the Liberal-National Party 52 per cent to 48 per cent on a two-party preferred basis.
Originally published as Queensland election: Morrison slams Palaszczuk over coronavirus border dispute