Backflip opens up $1500 payment

QUEENSLANDERS could soon be able to take up federally-funded paid pandemic leave after a backflip opened the $1500 a fortnight payment.

Previously Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the offer was specifically only available to Victoria because it was in a state of disaster.

In early August he said it would be considered for other states if “there was a disaster of the scale that we’re seeing in Victoria”.

But yesterday, the federal and Tasmania governments entered into an agreement to offer the payment in that state as well.

Tasmania currently has one active case and no community transmission, well short of where Victoria was.

On August 5, Mr Morrison wrote to the state premiers saying they would partner with them on the payments if they felt they should be “disaster declared”.

It’s understood Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk wrote back on August 7 seeking more detail but has not heard back.

Ms Palaszczuk said on Wednesday, “hopefully he will follow through with other states as well”.

A similar state-funded arrangement is in place for workers who contract COVID-19 outside their workplace, while the federal scheme applies to people ordered by a health official to self-isolate or quarantine for at least 14 days.

A formal declaration of emergency is not required for the pandemic leave to be considered, but states would have to be willing to accept being described as “disaster affected”.