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Annastacia Palaszczuk Implied No One Wants To “Go To India” While Shutting Down Travel Hopes

"There are ways of talking about how she wants to take a cautious approach without being nasty, condescending, and racist".

by Millie Roberts  24 September 2021
Queensland India

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Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk made some highly questionable comments on Thursday about international borders possibly reopening in Australia.

The premier was responding to Federal Government plans for overseas travel by Christmas, sarcastically telling reporters: “Where are you going to go? Are you going to go to India?”.

“In Tokyo, you have to sit in perspex screens with masks on, and if you remove your mask, you can’t talk while you’re eating,” she continued, acknowledging that people are travelling in Europe as well. “I think the Federal Government needs to identify very clearly what are the countries that Australians can travel to, okay?”

As it stands, the US currently has a higher total case and death rate than India does. While infections are still high in the latter country, the official numbers actually show signs of easing, according to the New York Times. Palaszczuk herself travelled to Japan in July to secure the 2032 Olympic Games location for Brisbane.

She was also asked whether her state would reopen at the 80 percent vaccination rate — predicted to reach that target by December — but declined to comment on the possibility of interstate travel as well. Earlier this month, Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said the state would “probably” open up its border at 80 percent double dose, but needed to reassess at a later date.

It’s not the first time Palaszczuk has clashed with Canberra over international borders. In July, she pushed to slice overseas arrivals in half when the Delta variant started to take hold of the country, alongside her Victorian counterpart Dan Andrews. ScoMo was also slammed for racism after banning flights from India for a fortnight in May to prevent outbreaks.

While no one is discounting her efforts to prevent extended lockdowns like in NSW and Victoria, her example choices are loaded, and ignore the sentiments of people who would in fact, love to see their loved ones after two years.