Speech-Queensland Border Closure-90 Second Statement

Of course, the health and wellbeing of Gold Coast as is paramount, and the coast will bounce back from the effects of COVID-19. However, while tens of thousands of jobs are at risk, the Queensland Labor government has damaged our local economy by refusing to provide certainty. This uncertainty is punishing small business, is risking one in the six jobs and is costing the Gold Coast $310 million per month.

Waiting until the end of the month for the Premier to confirm her own date will cost $230 million in damage. The sentiment from the Gold Coast business and tourism community, led by Sarah Colgate, who owns the iconic Aquaduck and who led a recent protest against the Premier, is that Annastacia Palaszczuk has been single-handedly killing tourism in Queensland. I agree. I took the opportunity myself to ask the Premier face-to-face a few weeks ago, when she was in Moncrieff, when she was in Surfers Paradise. Her response was not helpful to tens of thousands of suffering family business operators, and just half an hour ago she said she will ‘look at it’ at the end of the month.

What has been disappointing is the deafening silence from the state Labor member for Gaven, the only Queensland government member on the Gold Coast. It is not unreasonable for the good people of Moncrieff to expect their own assistant tourism minister, who grew up in Nerang, to stand up for their business and their livelihoods in Australia’s tourism capital—is it? I asked the Premier again on radio yesterday, this morning on Facebook and I ask her now here in this place to stick to your own plan of a 10 July reopening so our city can get back to what it does best.