PREMIER: DON’T BLAME ME FOR THE PROTESTS
AS RESTAURANT REBELLION RAMPS UP ON THE COAST
PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk is hitting back at crippled hospitality operators on the cusp of rebelling after Black Lives Matter protests by saying she had clearly advised against mass gatherings.
Long-time Surfers Paradise restaurateur Nuccia Fusco, who owns Costa D’Oro Italian eatery, said in yesterday’s Bulletin seeing tens of thousands protesting in Brisbane and Byron Bay left her speechless and wanting
ANDREW SCHULZ: It’s amazing how the Queensland Labor Government can justify taking good people’s livelihoods from them with double standards.
TA’ISI SEFUIVA: SA, WA and NT borders are closed.
MANDY SAVAGE: It was the Federal LNP Govt that locked down the country, the premiers are now only doing what they feel is best for their own states. This cafe/restaurant owner is lucky she can open at all and after the march on the weekend who knows if that won’t send us all into lockdown again.
ANNIS BENJAMIN: Someone keeps putting these fools back in power. They preach that they create jobs. Well not this time.
TRACEY MARY: After witnessing these demonstrations over the weekend, ALL businesses should be allowed to open. Get fined, fight it!
TERENCE JAMES: I seriously doubt the police will fine anyone after the government’s farcical approach to the protests.
JAMIE ROBINSON: I don’t think we should open up just yet, but if people are allowed to to ignore customer limits imposed by the Queensland Government.
Ms Fusco said it made her consider her own “protest” so she could have as many patrons as she wanted and if she got fined for breaching social distancing measures she would fight it in court.
Her comments and the story sparked an avalanche of support online from Glitter Strip business owners doing it protest then I don’t see the logic behind not opening up.
PETER CHALLAND: The odds of someone with coronavirus coming up here in the time frame that they have it and are contagious before showing symptoms would be so low it’s almost incalculable.
MARY CONTRARY: Do you really think the LNP is a friend of small business? They are only interested in rich corporations.
STEPHEN J. GREEN: All we hear is talk. About time we all stand together and take action … STOP the restrictions and OPEN the BORDERS.
DEBI SCOTT: They can’t arrest us all … proof of that on the weekend!
EMILY HOLCROFT: Maybe it’s because the Govt has been so strict and shut everything down that you don’t have >40,000 people dead from coronavirus. Maybe if UK Govt was as proactive early enough we’d have the luxury to be complaining that not many people have died & the govt has crippled businesses for nothing. it was great that we went into shutdown, I haven’t left the house for 4 months. However I do feel for those in business. Even when things open up, I won’t be going there for a while. Maybe the young/healthy can keep the economy viable. tough with unprecedented restrictions allowing only certain numbers per square metre of each venue section.
Ms Palaszczuk, when asked yesterday why cafes and restaurants were still not allowed to seat more patrons, insisted that she had made it “very clear” prior to the protest that people should not have gone to the rally.
“It didn’t just happen in Queensland,” she said. “It
MELANIE GOLDSBROUGH: More deaths by suicide than coronavirus.
TREVOR BERRY: The restrictions have become a political issue, the Lib supporters taking the opportunity to stick it to Labor.
JORDAN MCLELLAN: I find it difficult to accept the restrictions now that a protest with thousands of people was allowed to take place.
ELLA BOITCHENKO: No reason to keep borders closed when they allow 10s of thousands to gather for protests!
FRANK HUNT: It’s about time we all rebelled against this authoritarian State Govt.
LISA FREEMAN WELLS: The happened in NSW. I think there were larger crowds in NSW. And of course, there were big crowds in Melbourne as well.
“This happened right across the nation. And it happened right across the world.”
The Premier said reconciliation should be something that is aimed for “every single day – not just on one day”.
Ms Palaszczuk’s comments came as businesses called on
government clearly don’t care with all their mixed messages. Open up and call every sitting a “protest” and you won’t be fined.
BOB FITZGERALDS: I would open and take them to court if you are fined.
STENNA JACKSON: If they can march in 1000s then the businesses should open.
SCOTT ALEXANDER: Just open and say you’re protesting. You’ll be right.
PAUL MICHAEL: Just open the doors and call it a protest.
EMMANUEL CARDOSO: Suicide is not contagious, coronavirus is.
JESS PICKERING: Well said Nuccia Fusco.
SIMON BOLLOM: This is laughable, people are having suicidal thoughts and have lost so much, such as what? The place has had some restrictions put in place for two months. God help all you idiots if you lived elsewhere in the world, if you ever experienced a war, if you ever experienced poverty or mass unemployment.
KAREN BAN WAGON: Simon, retired??? Hasn’t had any impact on you? Haven’t lost your business? House?
ANDREW JONES: Absolutely agree, suicides, marriage breakdown, bankruptcies, all for the Government to drop coronavirus restrictions in a fortnight’s time if the mass protests do not lead to a second wave of COVID-19 cases.
The tourism industry has suggested the Black Lives Matter march could prove an “unexpected medical experiment” that demonstrates whether remaining restrictions are necessary.
Ms Palaszczuk has urged protesters who attended
what? I think Anastasia has read this all wrong.
JEFF: Wasting your breath everyone, the Premier has no clue about business, neither do her ministers. Funny thing is her popularity has gone up despite trashing the Qld economy and racking up a huge debt. Don’t complain unless you are prepared to do something about it.
NOEL: Protesters were inconsiderate, irresponsible, and unable to grasp the importance of health measures – let’s hope that restaurant euros grasp and implement health and food hygiene measures all year, every year. The 30,000 strong protest group would have acted even more meanly and unruly if police attempted to move them on. It was a good call for the government and police to avoid fomenting even worse behaviour.
SUSAN: The Premier is trying to rewrite history. She allowed the protest with a nod and a wink and now says she was against it?
PHIL: The protesters broke the law and should be punished but they won’t be. I support any business owner who allows more people in than allowed, see if they get fined.
PETER: Premier has no idea what is involved in running a business. Her and her cabinet weekend rallies to “very closely monitor” their health.
She encouraged those in the 30,000-strong protest in Brisbane stay home and get tested if they have symptoms.
“It is going to be crucial over the next two weeks what are the results of these mass gatherings that happened across Australia,” she said. “Can I say to the people who did attend, they need to very closely monitor their health.”
The Gold Coast has two active remaining cases of coronavirus in the city.
think money grows on trees.
ROGER: It’s just crazy keeping the border closed. I live on the border and not one single person I’ve spoken to in the precinct supports the closure. Please Premier, open the borders now!
MATTHEW: The restrictions are a joke. A bad one … I own two popular venues. Both seat 80 people. With the current restrictions we can accommodate 20. We are, unnecessarily, at 25 per cent capacity at both. Equally as bad is the tedious and pointless process of having to record a customer’s full name, address and phone number each time they want to sit in a venue. Most customers feel their privacy is being breached, which it is, and leads to frustration and anger, that in turn cause workplace anxiety and affects the mental wellbeing of the staff that have to enforce these rules.
BUNNY B: The trade off for the closed borders should now be 100% unrestricted limitations within our state … What are Anna and the chief health officer waiting for here?
LYN: One infected visitor from out of state – a threat of extreme concern. Tens of thousands out of work, broke and suffering extreme stress – not a problem.
ROBYN: The arrogance of this govt beyond belief. Why didn’t Jones answer the hard questions yesterday?