The federal government is once again arcing up over state borders, this time with Prime Minister Scott Morrison publicly having a go at Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to the point of “bullying”.
The Queensland border closure has already had serious medical and emotional impacts on many people and their families, but it was the case of 23-year-old Canberra resident Sarah Caisip which apparently pushed the Prime Minister to act.
After trying and failing to fly to Brisbane during her father’s final days, Caisip wrote a letter to Palaszczuk stating: “My dad is dead and you made me fight to see him, but it was too late and now you won’t let me go to his funeral or see my devastated 11-year-old sister.”
Today, Morrison got on the blower to Palaszczuk to personally ask for a travel exemption for Caisip to be reunited with her family. Afterwards, he went on the radio to tell the public, too.
“It’s not about borders, it’s not about federation, it’s not about politicians, it’s not about elections,” he said, apparently on the verge of tears.
“The only thing that matters today is that Sarah can be with her 11-year-old sister Isobel and her mother while they mourn the passing of their father and husband Bernard at Mount Gravatt today.”
In the end, Caisip was granted a travel exemption to have a private viewing, but she won’t be able to join the funeral despite Canberra being considered COVID-free, because Queensland considers it too close to NSW, where community transmission persists.
Now Palaszczuk has spoken out about being “bullied” into the decision.
“I will not be bullied nor will I be intimidated by the Prime Minister of this country who contacted me this morning and who I made [it] very clear to, the fact that it is not my decision,” she told state parliament.
“It is the Chief Health Officer’s decision to make. The Prime Minister at the time said to me that he had not gone public, but Mr Speaker, I knew that he would go public.
“To use the tragedy of this personal family is disgusting.”
As tragic as Caisip’s situation is, it’s not the first time state border closures have prevented families from being together when it mattered most.
Palaszczuk’s argument is that the Prime Minister Caisip’s situation as part of his personal beef against the Queensland border closure.
For what it’s worth, countless federal government policies have also kept families apart, and sometimes, even tore them apart in the first place.
Some policy decisions are best left to the experts.
