Ted O'Brien (Fairfax, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

According to the Grattan Institute, the Sunshine Coast has lost more jobs as a result of COVID-19 than any other region in Queensland. Unfortunately, the sectors that are the strong suit of our regional economy are also the very sectors that are most exposed to COVID-19. I'm happy today to be releasing a report on a survey I've recently undertaken with the business community, and I'm grateful to the 281 business leaders who made a contribution. Their key concern at the moment is the risk of business failure and the persistence of a recession. It should be no surprise that a top concern, especially of the tourism sector, is that the Queensland borders remain closed, without any certainty about when they might reopen. So I say very clearly to Premier Palaszczuk, who has not announced the date—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Ted O'Brien (Fairfax, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Those opposite have said, 'What date is it?' They don't know, you see. So I say very clearly to Premier Palaszczuk that our mantra is not, 'Beautiful one day, closed the next.' Name the date and open the borders.