IT’S TIME TO STAND UP FOR SOME COMPASSION
Today’s story about a Townsville mum pleading for compassion is just another one to add to the heartless mess Queensland’s quarantine system has become. Kaycee Thomas kissed her son Nate goodbye on June 20 as he jetted off on a surprise school holiday trip to Orange to see his grandparents.
As with many other Queenslanders trapped down south the borders shut unexpectedly and Nate was caught with no way home except for an expensive $6000 flight and hotel.
Kaycee expected to pick up her 10year-old in a couple of weeks, but almost three months and thousands of Covid-19 cases later, she now has no idea when she’ll see her son again.
The Queensland government acted quickly and enforced a hard border closure with NSW and Victoria when Covid-19 broke out, but it ultimately locked stranded Queenslanders, including Nate, out of home.
The move is one that captured national headlines on Thursday when Fraser Coast boy Memphis was trapped with his grandparents across the border.
The public outcry saw Memphis reunited with his mum yesterday.
If it hadn’t been for the media coverage nothing would have happened.
Bad press seems to be the only thing that will move Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk from her hard line decisions.
And the fact she let families of footballers into the state while locking out residents makes things even worse.
Why on earth, when so many worthy Queenslanders were desperate to come home, would she allow the families of NRL stars to jet into Queensland?
Today the Bulletin reveals there are so many cases that need attention.
The family of a soldier killed while on exercises west of Townsville is another example of heartless decision making.
The family can’t even come to their son’s funeral. While all this is going on we have our three Labor MPS in Townsville keeping quiet.
Yes, they need to back their premier but now they need to back their constituents and get Nate home.
Aaron Harper and the rest of his gang need to stand up publicly for Kaycee and demand Nate is brought home as soon as possible.
It’s one thing to toe the party line for a run-of-the-mill decision but this is the height of hypocrisy and needs to be called out.