Bereaved families treated terribly

“MY parents are sitting in a freezer, while a political game is going on behind the scenes.”

It’s the real and honest view of another person denied special exemption by the Queensland government.

For a daughter forced into quarantine in Townsville to plan the funeral of her parents, who were tragically killed in a head-on collision last week, grief has been replaced by anger.

Anger directed towards the state government, which denied a special exemption to enter Queensland without having to quarantine, no explanation given.

Linda Smith has become the latest face of a growing number of people treated more like numbers than human beings. Those unable to visit dying family members, attend funerals, see their loved ones in hospital.

Compassion and sensitivity have been traded away for risk assessment.

Ms Smith said it best herself: “I wouldn’t do this to my worst enemy.”

The decision making process on these so called special exemptions, which seem to be only for the rich and famous, or if you can kick a footy around, needs to be looked at.

COVID-19 is not going anyway anytime soon. A vaccine, it would appear, is still a long time off, life as we know it, will remain on hold for the foreseeable future.

The state government needs to show compassion. It must take into consideration the mental health and wellbeing of those affected by the heartbreaking loss of loved ones and the effects of keeping them away from their family during what is one of the worst times of their lives.

It’s not a time for political point scoring. Now, more than ever, is a time to be a human being, to look at the individual case, no matter the size of their wallets or what kind of money their sport or film will bring to the state.