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Community & Business

15 September, 2020

Opinion: Haters gonna hate

I can’t believe all the hate that has been directed at Queensland over our border closures over the past few weeks.

By Phil Brandel

Opinion: Haters gonna hate - feature photo

I can’t believe all the hate that has been directed at Queensland over our border closures over the past few weeks.

The part that I find astounding is that Queensland isn’t the only state with its borders currently closed. Look at WA, SA, TAS and until recently even the NT said thanks but no thanks to visitors from NSW and Vic.

The Border closures seem to be popular with Queenslanders but not so much with our southern states. It’s almost like southern residents, media and politicians have taken it personally that we don’t want them infecting our state.

Ms Palaszczuk and Ms Berejiklian have been involved in a battle of words in recent weeks over the opening of Queensland's borders. According to insiders "They just don't like each other."

Even the ACT chipped in on the QLD border reopening saying they haven’t had a case of COVID in over 2 months but Queensland's Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young knocked that on the head with one of the simplest arguments ever by saying “The ACT is surrounded by NSW.”

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian seems to be the biggest hater claiming that the border closure is costing NSW jobs. NSW is heavily reliant on tourism and even though it's unlikely to see international travellers for some time, allowing more domestic holiday-makers would help their struggling accommodation, food and entertainment businesses.

WA Premier Mark McGowan fired the first salvo and claimed that WA was being "bullied" by NSW and said he didn't want to be told what to do by a state which allowed the Ruby Princess coronavirus outbreak to occur.

"New South Wales had the Ruby Princess — I mean, seriously? And they are trying to give us advice on our borders, seriously?" he said.

Earlier in the year Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk also stuck in the boot, telling NSW it was "not going to be lectured to" by a state with the highest number of coronavirus cases."

Ms Berejiklian told the ABC that "I'm sure those premiers are getting more popular in their states for keeping their borders closed," she said.

So what’s a premier to do? Go with what her constituents want, go with what economists want or try to appease the rest of Australia?

The answer is pretty simple; it should be people over profits.

NSW time and time again has asked QLD to open its border, but NSW didn’t seem to have much of a problem closing its border to Victoria when the time came.

The Queensland Premier has said time and time again that Queenslanders safety is her paramount aim, somehow this seems like a foreign concept to the NSW Premier.

Phil Brandel

Got an opinion? Email us at editorial@theexpressnewspaper.com.au

 

 

 

 

 

 

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