Queensland is on a collision course with the rest of the nation over border openings in a high-stakes political move that risks flipping the popularity of Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.
The Queensland government is not confiding in voters, but the intemperate language adopted by Palaszczuk and senior ministers this week hints at Christmas being a closed shop north of the border. That means, ironically, that the state that has best managed to keep COVID-19 at bay may be the state offering its voters fewer freedoms, less travel and a more subdued Christmas than its interstate counterparts — and that’s a difficult message to sell.
“Where are you going to go?’’ Palaszczuk demanded when questioned last week by journalists about opening up. “Are you going to go to India?” Perhaps for the tens of thousands of Queenslanders born in India or the 100,000-plus Queenslanders who have an Indian-born parent, the answer might be yes.
But why choose India? Why not the United States? Or the United Kingdom? That immoderate political performance aside, the Queensland government looks as though it’s trapped itself in a corner, where the only strategy is a no-COVID strategy. And few believe that is sustainable.
Queensland has been the envy of the nation as Victoria and New South Wales have battled high COVID tallies and too many deaths. Palaszczuk deserves credit for that. But a single policy lever rarely works when driving a complicated beast. And this next stage — where people deserve to come home or see family interstate — is proving a tad trickier.
This will be a challenge for the government. Queensland’s vaccine levels are significantly lower than NSW and Victoria. For example, 63% of Queenslanders have had their first dose and 44% are fully vaccinated. Compare that with NSW, where 85% have had one dose, and more than 60% are fully vaccinated.
Palaszczuk has to wear that. She appeared reluctant to be vaccinated early, and opted for Pfizer. Her chief health officer — and soon to be state governor — Dr Jeannette Young has also been criticised for providing comfort, early on, to those not rushing for a jab.
But that’s not the only reason why Queensland now finds itself in a bind. Palaszczuk’s mantra has been that she will keep voters safe. She said it, on loop, in the lead-up to the election, and probably every day since. So when the virus inevitably moves north, won’t she be held accountable for those who fall ill?
That’s the risk, and her tactic from day one was to make it as hard as possible for the virus to get here. The cost of that, though, is wearing thin: families torn apart; parents unable to see children; doctors unable to operate on interstate patients; university students forced to study in their rooms; too many families without an income. Many have been highly supportive of the government until now want to be compensated for locking down every time a single case is found. They believe it’s time they were allowed to hug family, visit friends, look forward to overseas holidays and ensure they catch up on health checks.
More than 3000 Queensland families are stranded in other states — but a roll call of footballers has been given red carpet entry into the state. And when genuine and heartbreaking problems are raised — as the state’s human rights commissioner did recently — about who can cross the border and who can’t they are immediately criticised. It’s sounding as though the premier, like a string of Queensland leaders before her, is starting to believe her way is the only way and that no one else deserves a say.
So what’s her next move?
Many voters think — rightly — that it is incredibly unfair that Queensland, where there have been limited cases, will remain locked up when Dan Andrews in Victoria and Gladys Berejiklian in NSW are allowing their voters new freedoms. Palaszczuk has brought that on herself. Policy needs to be more than a mantra of “I’ll keep you safe’’. It needs to be multi-focused, and flexible, and include the next step.
If the Queensland government has one, it’s not revealing it. And criticising residents who might want to travel to India — or anywhere — should not win any votes.
Hello, posting from the forgotten part of Australia, South Australia. Along with my counterparts in Tasmania and WA, our borders are closed. We have a Liberal Premier.
Do we exist?
Does Australia finish east of the Great Divide?
Did Gladys stuff up the Ruby Princess, fail to lock-down causing thousands of cases, hundreds of deaths, export the Virus to Victoria, being looked at by ICAC.
Has Anna kept Qld basically Covid-free? Do Qlds have total freedom within Qld and want to keep Covid out?
But Gladys is a hero and Anna is under attack?
Journalism.
Not really journalism though is it?
Exactly. The media never attacks Steven Marshall for closed borders …or his mate down in Tasmania.
If this is the best swipe the author can take to Annastacia Palaszczuk then the Qld Premier is safe.
I’m in Tas, I have yet to see Liberal Premier Gutwein get mercilessly grilled by anyone for keeping borders closed with the covid states, while also setting our vax target at 90%.
Yes! 90%!
And the feeling I get anecdotally is Tasmanians couldn’t be happier with how he’s managing it.
I’m not a Liberal voter, but I gotta admit, he’s doing a top job looking after us….we need it! We have the least robust medical system in the nation (he really should fix that btw), as well as the oldest most vulnerable population in the nation.
No one here wants to see our state decimated as a result of Gladys and Morrison not giving a rat’s about anyone but Sydney.
Also, important point: people from non-covid states are coming and going as per normal here in Tas. I take it it’s the same for Qld? A West Aussie could travel to Qld no probs?
if that’s so, then the idea that Queensland is “locked out” because of a closed border with NSW is the most laughable, egocentric take on things since maps had earth at the centre, and every other planet and star orbiting around it.
I believe a West Aussie could travel to Qld no probs, but WA counts Qld as an orange zone, so I’m not sure about the return journey. But definitely not locked out of Qld. We only lock out the people whose own governments have locked down – and going on holidays isn’t one of the 5 allowable reasons to leave home.
How about going to look at a property in Byron?
So well said re: egocentric take!! Reality is that borders are open for the majority of the states!
But a small, tiny tax paying, minority of the Australian population .
Australia apparently is NSW, with a flogging of Vic and QLD….
Take a look at the situation Dubbo, Bourke or Wilcannia.
For Scomo and Gladys, Australia extends from the Hawkesbury to Port Hacking, from Bondi to the Blue Mountains.
A friend of mine,a’Murdoch man’,was babbling on about Qld and WA and border closures. I asked if SA and Tas were relevant. He said no. They don’t fit the narrative I suppose.
Except Anna didn’t keep QLD covid free. That is merely a quirk of location population, time and luck.
Victoria has also had closed borders and lockdown. No luck though, apart from the heady double donut days which were a joke.
Seems that Victoria may have more than its fair share of Karens
Most of the 3000 Queenslanders stranded in other <lockdown> states made a decision and chose to take the risk. There is still a gateway into Qld. via quarantine. If they are locked down how can they travel anyway? You are in error; the vast majority of Queenslanders are not locked up, only those who are designated close contacts are in isolation (as well as those in quarantine). (This may change today depending on mystery illness).
On last check QLD has a vaccination efficiency of 85%, (NSW 87%, VIC 83%, SA 80%, WA 80%, TAS 74%) This is a ratio of Vaccinations delivered over Vaccinations supplied. Queensland is 3rd on delivery of supplied vaccine. Last on totals because supply to Qld has been consistently 2% below the mean per capita supply nationally. Noted is the failure to mention other states that are not locked down with borders closed. Apparently their stranded citizens are quite comfortable with the fact that they are not easily able to return home.
Article full of emotive phrases and thoughts with very little basis in fact.
I want my subscription back.
(Minister For Potato@potato_minister·
18h
Up here in Queensland we’re experimenting by getting people vaccinated prior to letting covid19 rip.
It’s pretty complex and many in the media have trouble grasping this novel approach.)
I’m from NSW and, for family reasons, happened to have come to Tas only days before the border closures. I’m enjoying travelling freely around exploring Tasmania and going out to pubs, cinema etc mask-frees, having friends to dinner and all the rest. I have no intention of returning home until mid-late November at the earliest.
I find it interesting that the media always focus on WA and Qld, presumably following the lead of Morrison who targets them because they have Labor Premiers.
I can tell you that here in Liberal State Government Tasmania, there is absolutely no wish to open up anytime soon. They quite like things just as they are. I have family in WA, who recently flew over for a visit, because there are now direct flights and not via Melbourne, who say things are the same in Perth.
The general feeling in both states is that they don’t care what Scotty and Gladys say. They are of the same mind as Palaszczuk – not opening up until we’re ready, not when NSW is ready.
Morrison and Gladys can keep saying how we have to live with Covid but, for the time being, people in Tas, WA and Qld prefer living without Covid. I’m also double vaxed AZ.
Last week my sister and I – in Zurich and Sydney respectively – attended via livestream a funeral held in Cairns. Messaging before the service started, we both commented on the lack of masks. There was no problem holding the wake either. My cousin is a chef in a beach restaurant up there, and the joint is jumping. Travelling interstate has been a gamble this year, and some people lost. I risked a weekend trip to Cairns in late April but wouldn’t have considered anything longer without my work computer in tow. Dad and I didn’t expect to see each other at Christmas. But the Queenslanders on the whole are doing alright. Life goes on. Tourism companies should have adapted by now.
As for vaccination rates, what are the supply levels like, especially in the regions? My Dad got his first AZ jab just before ANZAC Day but had to wait till early September for the second. He said most of the vaccine supplies are being diverted to PNG or up to the Cape, where they are certainly needed with more urgency. NSW and Sydney in particular snaffled a lot of vaccine, so is pointing fingers at QLD vaccination rates really justified?
I strongly suspect that the same applies to Sth Australia and Adealide. Also forgotten by Scomo and the media in the Sydney-Canberra bubble.
You escaped just in time!! The LNP really need to come up with different word than ‘free’ to try and sell their let it rip ‘strategy’.
Madonna King’s concern for Qlders freedom is wonderful. How about some concern for all Australians?
Morrisin is opening our nation’s borders while Berjiklian’s Delta variant runs wild. Why? Election coming, allowing Australian born to finally come home -for Christmas – in time to vote for their Pentecostal saviour. Are they unaware of the fact that it’s Brother Morrison and his ilk that have hindered their return while allowing cheap labour for BUSINES maates to arrive on a variety of visas, most importantly the partner visa.
Morrison did not organize repatriation flights for Australian citizens as he did Indian Australians. In fact some India from the right caste system in Modi’s equally corrupt regime demanded Australians pay for the repatriation and commercial flights for Indians to come back after their soirees back home. Holding the mooted FTA as a carrot, but more like a stick.
Votes from the Indian/ Australian community are now assured, as possibly are those from the long stranded Aussies overseas.
Quarantining at home for 7 days if vaccinated, which vaccines are acceptable? No info on that score either.
Just before Berjiklian’s no public measures no QR code no limits to anything Delta outbreak occurred, 20,000 temporary visa holders arrived in June. In fact immigration during the pandemic has barely paused. But stranded Aussies couldn’t get a seat on a plane home for almost two years. Who got to come to Australia and why during that period?
Immigration during covid. Some govt figures, so always dodgy; their source is an article on the Independent Australia website:
The approval rate for partner visa applications increased from around 90% in recent years to 98% in 2020-21.
The approval rate for employer sponsored visas increased from around 85% in 2017-18 to 97.6% in 2020-21.
For Regional Employer Sponsored visas, the approval rate increased from around 61.2% in 2017-18 to 93% in 2020-21.
There has also been a similar increase in approval rates in student and temporary entry categories.
This was predominantly due to the larger portion of visas granted in the partner and business skills categories which have higher levels of demand from China
And a lower portion in the skilled independent category which have higher levels of demand from India.
For the first time in over a decade, China (22,207 at first) overtook India (21,791 at second) as Australia’s main source of immigrants.
Major source countries that maintained their position were the UK (12,703 at third); the Philippines (11,058 at fourth); and Vietnam (8,120 at fifth).
The other two big movers were migrants from the USA (4,780 visas in 2020-21, moving from tenth place to sixth) and Hong Kong (4,312 in 2020-21, moving from 23rd place to eighth).
At 50,417, the number of migrants intending to live in NSW was well above the 44,182 in 2019-20 but below the average of recent years of over 55,000 (61,742 in 2015-16).
Victoria had 39,170 in 2020-21 compared to 34,189 in 2019-20. Western Australia received 15,994 in 2020-21 compared to 11,377 in 2019-20.
Queensland increased from 18,743 in 2019-20 to 22,903 in 2020-21. The 2020-21 level for Queensland was the highest in over ten years.
For all other jurisdictions, the number of migrants in 2020-21 was down on the level for 2019-20.
At 9,769, the level for South Australia was the lowest in over ten years.
A record partner visa grants of 72,376 in 2020-21, with another 72,000 places allocated to partners in 2021-22.
The 2020-21 Migration Program saw 160,052, arrivals, almost 20,000 more than in 2019-20 and only slightly above the “ceiling” of 160,000.
Look forward to an article on that Ms King.
Tasmanian here. Life is pretty well normal here and has been since May last year. We get visitors from Qld, SA and WA and we can visit there and enjoy the normal lives they lead. I don’t know anyone in the people I talk to who thinks we should be more like NSW or should contemplate opening up at the moment. Palaszczuk may be more vocal than the Libs who lead Tas and SA but the policies are much the same and so are the freedoms we enjoy. Poor, one-sided articles such as this treat everything as a political game and do nothing to add to the conversation.
It’s interesting that Australians can travel freely between Qld, WA, SA and Tas. It’s only NSW, whose Premier’s negligence allowed Covid to get a foothold, and Victoria, who were unable to keep it out from NSW, who are suffering restrictions.
Still, that’s where the media people live so that’s where the stories come from.
Unfortunately for the inhabitants, Vic & NSW are over half the population.
Tony I’m in Tas too, just had some friends pop over from SA, my wife travelled to WA on business not too long ago, so it’s pretty much life as normal.
But the media (and now i have to include Crikey, unfortunately) are pursuing this line that it’s the other way around, that it’s the non-Covid states that are suffering, and longing to be reunited with NSW and VIC regardless of whether it’s safe to do so.
I’ve just been watching Littleproud on the ABC, imploring the wicked Premiers (Labor ones only of course) to stop the torture. Gaslighting of an Olympic standard, Morrison would be so chuffed.
We’re not the hermit kingdoms, it’s NSW that is the hermit kingdom!…with Vic having been dragged in as collateral damage, courtesy of Gladys and Morrison.
If NSW pollies and Scomo want to make NSW a controlled experiment lab test, to see what happens when you relax restrictions when you’ve got 60% of the total population vaxxed, then I guess that’s their call. If it works, brilliant! If it doesn’t, at least the remaining 18 million aussies won’t be victims of Morrison’s putrid political agenda.
Another King Labor flogging – and where would “we” be if your Coalition Prime Minister of NSW hadn’t redirected vaccines to his Gladys from the Qld drive?
King has a silent asterisk as in *king. Some argue that it has 3 silent asterisks
Gladys is the only Premier who marks success by lowering body bags count. The rest of the States seem to mark success by not having any Covid infections until they have large vaccination count. uUnfortunately NSW stuffed Victoria – but Queensland acted quickly and has capped Covid until vaccination rates allow it to open. Meantime Israel , Europe are realising that vaccination rates are relatively irrelevant without mask and social distancing – What actually cuts transmission by 98% is aerosol control and distancing so after all the population is jabbed with vaccines transmission still requires control. The mRNA jabs first to market are not the best vaccines – therein better to come- Novavax for instance.
instead of criticising Palaszczuk why not ask Berejiklian when is she going to resign for stuffing her State and its economy and nearly stuffing the country twice?