Controversial Senator Pauline Hanson attacks colleague Matt Canavan for ‘rubbishing’ Toowoomba over quarantine hub

Senator Pauline Hanson has defended the State Government’s plan to build a quarantine facility near Toowoomba, lashing a colleague for “rubbishing” the city’s capacity.

Senator Pauline Hanson (left) and Senator Matt Canavan.

Controversial Queensland Senator Pauline Hanson has taken aim at an Nationals colleague over comments he made on Toowoomba’s capacity to host a proposed quarantine facility.

Senator Hanson said Senator Matt Canavan had “rubbished” Toowoomba’s health facilities when he argued the city had “very limited ability” to contain an outbreak.

“If there were to be an outbreak in a regional city like Toowoomba they’ve got very limited ability to handle that and would very quickly overwhelm their health services,” he said on Sky News.

“If the Queensland Government is serious about doing an open-air quarantine facility why don’t they sit down and talk about where the best place for that is rather than inflexibly putting forward a proposal.”

Senator Hanson said Toowoomba was more than capable of hosting the facility, noting the city was home to three major hospitals and significant infrastructure.

“Matt Canavan shouldn’t be talking Toowoomba down – it’s Australia’s second largest inland city with over 170,000 residents enjoying the great amenities and lifestyle Toowoomba and its surrounds offer,” she said in a statement.

“Instead of bagging Toowoomba’s health facilities on national television, Senator Canavan should have been promoting the fact that the area has three major hospitals.

Toowoomba Hospital alone has around 380 doctors and almost 1,400 nurses and handled 6432 overnight admissions in the December 20 quarter.

“St Vincent’s Private and St Andrews Private are both significant hospitals that any city would be proud to have, and both have ICU facilities.”

Senator Hanson backed the State Government’s proposal, saying it would create jobs and offer an alternative to hotel quarantine.

“Queensland has the chance to have an international standard quarantine facility built for free by the same group that delivered the local world class international airport,” she said.

“Senator Canavan is just scare mongering and rubbishing a great Queensland city.

“There’s absolutely no valid reason why he should be denigrating this proposal for a facility in Queensland that will save Australian taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars and create about 300 jobs.”

It continues the war of words over the State Government’s plan to build a 1300-person hub near Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport, which appears dead in the water after Prime Minister Scott Morrison shot it down on Monday.

His comments earned the ire of Toowoomba small business advocates.