When 30,000 people gathered to protest in Brisbane recently without social distancing and without threat of State Government sanction or reprimand, it showed the farce of how this State Labor Government has poorly handled the “Roadmap” out of COVID restrictions.
The same day 30,000 people gathered, one of our Coast restaurants was being threatened with fines of up to $6000 for allowing a patron to go up to the bar to order himself a drink in minor breach of COVID-safe rules. That’s crazy but typifies what’s going on. It’s why I went so hard on the issue in Parliament this week as the truth must come out.
We must keep people safe but we also have to give businesses certainty or more damage will be done with the loss of livelihoods and lives and tragically this is already unfolding.
So many businesses have been hit hard by COVID-19, with an estimated 5000 jobs a week lost each week in Queensland while the border remains closed without clarity about reopening dates. Certainty is needed about the reopening rather than flip flopping and it must be based upon the science and facts.
We have flattened the curve of the pandemic but we mustn’t flatten the economy with no end-date announced for reopening the borders and inconsistent responses by State Labor Government to COVID-safe plans for businesses.
Let’s get Queensland working again to save jobs, lives and livelihoods.
