Flight Centre co-founder and chief executive Graham Turner says he was the first to agree the slashing of international flight caps was a bad move.Credit:Attila Csaszar
“I think it’s a pretty good opportunity for Queensland,” Mr Turner said of the planned travel by Ms Palaszczuk,Brisbane lord mayor Adrian Schrinner and federal Sports Minister Richard Colbeck to present the final pitch to the International Olympic Committee later this month.
Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates has said the bid,which wasgiven preferred candidate status in February,could still face “disaster” if Ms Palaszczuk did not attend as part of the delegation – which will be fully vaccinated.
More than 80,000 havenow signed an online petition launched last week calling for Ms Palaszczuk alone to be denied an exemption to leave – a jump of about 10,000 since late Wednesday – after she reiterated she would return via hotel quarantine and first advocated for the arrivals cap.
This followed Deputy Premier Steven Milesblasting unvaccinated repeat travellers effectively skipping around Australia’s closed international borders,countered by Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews as a smokescreen for the state’s own COVID-19 outbreak issues.
“Because it’s[arrival caps] a stupid idea I suppose you can’t blame just the Queensland Premier for it – you can blame the other ones as well,” Mr Turner said.
“I saw that petition and it’s really trying to punish the Premier for her COVID strategy but really it probably doesn’t help regional south-east Queensland at the same time if she didn’t go.”
Ms Palaszczuk has said her travel would also depend on the state’s COVID situation. The Japanese government itself is set to ban spectators attending events in Tokyo under surging infections andanother looming state of emergency declaration.