Tearing down Anna should be the first move.

Yep.

Poor Queenslanders.

They need someone in control with self composure and vision.
EG our Glady in NSW.

Dan.

I think in politics, you are a damned if you do, and damned if you don't.

Nope! Just take a Bex and good lie down Tristin and focus on what you do at home!

The borders are also closed in WA, NT and SA! And the reason we've/they've put the brakes on covid-19.

And I get there's an election coming soon! And the reason for this, bah humbug, opinion piece?
Alan B.!

Agree with you Alan,

The fastest way to get back to normal is to eradicate the virus. The Northern Territory is essentially back to normal, apart from large public gatherings, and they expect to allow them as well from June 5.

https://coronavirus.nt.gov.au/roadmap-new-normal#/stage_2_friday_15_may_current

Most of the economic damage that Tristan Prasser is blaming on the Queensland government is actually due to people's fear of the virus.

https://theconversation.com/ending-lockdown-wont-save-the-economy-heres-how-the-government-can-aid-recovery-137553

That said, there is no reason why the states that have eradicated the virus - essentially all of them, apart from New South Wales and Victoria - cannot open up to each other, so Mr. Prasser could get a few Tasmanian tourists.

There is no way that people should be expected to die or be horribly disabled for the tourism industry.

It's the international travellers that import such nonsense ! Are they being kept at bay ?

Now that the biggest stumbling block in the present Qld Govt. has gone things should improve, LG in particular !

It's interesting we are speaking of "opening" or "borders closed" via Qld.

However, China have imposed sanctions on Aussie exports of Barley - an 80% tariff increase.

Sanctions now on Beef export?

Premier why are you not addressing issues within your own State with our export industry?

Quite apart from the decimation of the tourist industry with your State, and saving people's lives and job security within any industry.

National experts say it is o.k. for travel - as long as we adhere to all safety rules.

The rest of Australia ask - who are you?

Is it all about Politics and a seat in Parliament - as opposed to all businesses - and employment of many thousands of citizens in Qld?

If so, time to go.

The author bemoans the loss of profits by business during the pandemic, he gives no priority to the human lives saved. Tristan has much to say about petty restrictions and border closures, and how they impacted on business. Its possible because of those petty restrictions, he didn't elaborate, I assume all restrictions were petty in his eyes, and with border closures in force, its possible that Tristan is alive and well today to be about to pen his moan about Palaszczuk and such restrictions effects on business profits.

Paul 1405

I note your comment However during this Pandemic all States have gone with National Medical Advice.

Previous calculations provided to Government via Overseas modelling stated that Australia should expect 150,000 deaths in Australia.....thankfully these models were incorrect.

We now have an "Australian Tracking System - taken up by over 6M residents...and growing.

It's time now for Qld to open borders to any/all travel for Australian citizens.

Paul I guess you just don't understand. It is not loss of profits that is the problem for the tourist industry, but the ongoing costs, even though the companies are not operating.

I ran a tourist boat operation in the Whitsundays. It was a reasonably large operation for the day & the area, but with about $10,000,000 turnover not a large business.

Never the less the insurance bill was $1,000,000PA, the interest bill in Keatings 17% interest period was also a bit over 1,000,000PA, & the other fixed costs were over $500,000 PA. The staff bill was over $1,000,000, but I suppose they should be sacked to save that cost.

Any way you look at it the cost of 4 months with no income would be over a million dollars, & I don't know of any small operation with that much cash lying around. In fact most tourist operations operate on very small margins. In that area just a long cyclone season, keeping the tourists numbers down for longer than usual would see a few go to the wall.

I don't like the idea of opening the border too early, but how do we tell what is the right time? We have done so much damage to the economy & businesses to get to here, it would be stupid to ruin it all for a couple of weeks, but those couple of weeks could be the last straw, that sends thousands of businesses to the wall, & leaves hundreds of thousands with no job to go back to.

Hasbeen,
Those educated types hanging off the taxpayers apron will never comprehend what you just wrote.
It's easy for them to come up with all sorts of ideas except the one that matters, to manage instead of applying for more funding !
Reminds me of that Remote Area teacher many years ago when he complained that the mechanic charged $65/hr. Totally taken aback, the teacher blurted out "but, that's more than I get paid ?"
He looked dumbfounded when the mechanic explained that he had to pay insurance, lease for the workshop, freight for parts, etc & asked the teacher "how much do you have to pay for such things in your job ?".
The insipid mutt just walked out !

Hi SAINTS,

Speaking as a Queenslander (a refugee from Sydney), I realise there is an economic cost to be paid due to the pandemic. When you say; "modelling stated that Australia should expect 150,000 deaths in Australia.....thankfully these models were incorrect." No I disagree those models were not incorrect, do absolutely nothing and the result would be a very high death toll. Fortunately through decisive action by government, these numbers were controlled. Given some countries acted very poorly with their response, the results are plain to see. Based on US and Britain who did do something, we could be looking at 8,000 to 14,000 dead at this moment, with no end in sight. I trust the government on this, and not those with a financial vested interest cat calling from the side lines.

I am all for the rest of us doing our bit to help those severely economically impacted by the pandemic, and impacted in other ways as well. Even opening the boarders may not in itself result in tourists returning quickly in numbers. Peoples financial uncertainty will be a factor, "can't afford a holiday this year", and the medical uncertainty, "is it really safe to travel".

BTW, I want the QLD/NSW boarder reopened, we want to get down to Sydney and see our moko's (grandchildren and extended family children) ASAP. Another from the son due 25th December and a few in between from other parts of the family. With all from the extended family that will make about a couple of hundred.

With the new cases popping up in Victoria, it looks like any boarder opening talk is most definitely premature.

Hey Paul 1405

As a Sydneysider (having QLD long time friends) - so over it, and do believe - oh it's all so political.

I go back to the last Commonwealth Games whereby the Premier basically decimated all businesses along to Coast.

I visited Qld in for EXPO in the 80's - we were able to access any venue we wanted via bus, train, taxi, water taxi - EVERYTHING was available with minimum fuss.

Thousands came away with memories of a trip of a lifetime with friends and great memories.

I guess she wasn't in Parliament then and hadn't referred back to how to conduct an "Expo for the World".

Paul

Or opening a border for business!

Has been

That's Victoria - and not the rest of Australia.

Each State is different - please refer to relevant State traces of virus tracking.

Saints, the NSW Vic boarder is open, so when we open the boarder to NSW, we are opening it to Vic by default.

Has been

Australia is now so completely over it.

We were supposed to have 150,000 deaths according to data afforded to Government.

Well we didn't, and those 101 victims continue to be acknowledged.

All borders should be opened for trade and tourism - under clear medical advice.

Borders should be opened with "continued use of social distancing" being adhered to.

I and many Australians are "incensed" by China's agent in Australia - stating that any enquiry into origins of virus being "disrespectful" as to their Government.

As an Australian - with the support of ALL Australians.

1. A virus originated in Wuhan China ….. which engulfed the world.

2. So China believe that any "independent" inquiry into such origins by Australian Government is "offensive" to China.

3. Aussies say - WE WON'T BE BULLIED by anyone.

Aussies totally support our Government actions.

SAINTS, "We were supposed to have 150,000 deaths according to data afforded to Government." Not so, have you heard of worst case scenario, that's what you are referring to. The fact decisive action by government in Australia has so far limited the death toll to just over 100, seems to disappoint some people.

Then there is the; "So China believe that any "independent" inquiry into such origins by Australian Government is "offensive" to China" No, the Australian Government never proposed an investigation conducted by itself into the virus. China supported, unlike the Trump Administration, an independent investigation. China was rightly concerned that the original Australian proposal seemed to be at the urging of the Americans, a political witch hunt. Would Trump agree to the Chinese government conducting an "independent" investigation into the protests in America, I think not, even if China proposed such a thing. The Americans might think such an investigation could be biased.

How dare anyone to declare that their "freedom" to make money trumps everyone else's personal freedoms?

Each and every community ought to determine its priorities for itself and indeed certain states and territories determined that it is more important for them to eliminate the virus, let alone for avoiding the disease itself, in order to regain their freedoms sooner to do all the normal things that people do, including even to hug and shake hands - more important than just the ability to make money. What right have outsiders to dictate their priorities to them?

Sadly this was only done at state-level: each district, county, town or village ought to have this same ability, if so they choose, to close/restrict its borders so they are able to live in an unrestricted virus-free environment within.

Hi Yuyutsu,

Sometimes I agree with you, and sometimes not. Define "outsiders", that could be anyone not of this world, or it could be anyone who is not me. You said; "Sadly this was only done at state-level: each district, county, town or village ought to have this same ability", why should the village have authority over the individual? Why can't I kill my neighbour? My rights as an individual superseded all others rights, although just as I should have the right to kill the neighbour, then he should equally have the right to kill me. Once you place any restriction on the individuals right, for any reason, then you diminish the rights of that individual. Give nothing is above the rights of the individual, then no right should be denied. Agree?

Dear Paul,

You made a very good point, but the situation in a pandemic is somewhat more intricate from a moral point of view and probably not that black-and-white.

I will be happy to discuss the overall picture of freedoms and rights in a pandemic situation, but this would take longer to cover and what I presented here was only a limited argument. That individual freedoms trump the rights of others, is an absolute argument, but my argument here was only a relative one:

Given that, rightly or wrongly, larger groups of people (state, district, county, town, village) ALREADY severely limit the individual freedoms of those within its "jurisdiction", prohibiting them to visit family, to hug their friends, to exercise at the gym, to eat out, to pray together, to receive elective surgery and personal treatments, etc., etc., then surely they may (and in my view ought to) prohibit those OUTSIDE their "jurisdiction" from entering their community and bringing their virus with them SO THAT they be able to remove their internal restrictions sooner. This should be a lesser evil.