Scott Morrison WON'T be attending the Tokyo Olympics in person - after 30,000 people signed a petition calling on Annastacia Palaszczuk to be barred from Japan
- Scott Morrison won't be attending Tokyo Olympics in person for Brisbane bid
- Prime Minister will address International Olympic Committee via video link
- Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will be going to Japan in person
- Petition with 30,000 signatures calling on her to be banned from going overseas
Scott Morrison won't be attending the Tokyo Olympics in person after more than 30,000 people signed a petition calling on Annastacia Palaszczuk to be barred from Japan.
The Prime Minister's office has confirmed he will be attending an International Olympic Committee meeting via video link, in a fortnight, to make the case for Brisbane to host the games in 2032.
Queensland's Labor Premier Ms Palaszczuk, however, will be there in person, sparking outrage with 30,000 people, including many stranded expats, signing a petition saying it was hypocritical of her to go overseas when she had campaigned to halve the number of Australians being allowed back into the country.
'The people of Australia believe the Queensland government should lead by example,' the petition said.
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Scott Morrison won't be attending the Tokyo Olympics in person after more than 30,000 signed a petition calling on Annastacia Palaszczuk to be barred from Japan
'We hereby petition for Annastacia Palaszczuk to be DENIED the right to leave Australia at this time until she increases hotel quarantine capacity to such an extent that she will not take up a space that could have gone to a stranded Australian.'
Instead of going to Tokyo in person, the Prime Minister will be attending via video link to make a presentation to the IOC about the benefits of Brisbane hosting the Summer Olympics in 2032.
'The Prime Minister continues to play an active role in bringing The Games here and will be helping that ongoing effort right up to the final vote by IOC members in Tokyo including by sending a Commonwealth Government representative to support Australia's pitch,' a spokesman for Mr Morrison told Daily Mail Australia.
Sports Minister Richard Colbeck will be attending ahead of the July 23 Opening Ceremony, Daily Mail Australia understands, but this is yet to be confirmed.
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Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will be there in person, sparking outrage with 30,000 people, including many stranded expats, signing a petition saying it was hypocritical of her to go overseas when she had campaigned to halve the number of Australians being allowed back in
Ms Palaszczuk will be going along with Brisbane's Liberal National Party Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, despite campaigning last week to halve the number of Australians overseas allowed back in.
'We are at capacity. We're stretched, and we need an immediate reduction by 50 per cent,' she said.
Accepting Ms Palaszczuk's advice, National Cabinet on Friday agreed to halve the weekly number of Australians arriving from overseas to 3,035 from 6,070, making returning home even harder for more than 34,000 Australians stranded overseas.
Upon her return from Japan, Ms Palaszczuk said she would quarantine in a hotel instead of opting for home quarantine, as Mr Morrison did at The Lodge in Canberra after last month travelling to the UK for the G7 summit of world leaders.
'I have absolutely said that I will come and do the 14-day mandatory hotel quarantine in Brisbane,' she told the ABC's Q&A program last week.
'I will not be doing home quarantine.'
Ms Palaszczuk will be going along with Brisbane's Liberal National Party Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner (pictured getting a Covid vaccine)
Ms Palaszczuk argued having the Olympic Games in Brisbane would create more than 100,000 jobs and she needed to be there in person to boost the Queensland capital's chances.
'I would hope definitely by 2032 we would be back to a normal society of freedom of movement,' she said.
'This is a very important meeting.
'And it is expected by the International Olympic Committee that a federal representative, the Premier and the Lord Mayor of Brisbane attend to present in front of the International Olympic Committee. It is envisaged it would be a very short trip.'
Australian Force Border, an agency of the Department of Home Affairs, decides on individual cases, and is allowing Ms Palaszczuk to travel to Japan, even though many Australians are missing out on seeing dying loved ones overseas.
Australian Force Border decides on individual cases, and is allowing Ms Palaszczuk to travel to Japan, even though many Australians are missing out on seeing dying loved ones overseas. Pictured is Brazilian soccer great Zico holding an Olympic torch at Kashima, near Tokyo
Her attendance in Tokyo is sparking more outrage on her Facebook page with one man asking why she couldn't have attended via video link.
'How dare you go on a junket to Tokyo when there are Aussies desperate to get back home,' he said.
'And you want to travel after complaining quarantine numbers should be halved.
'Do it via Zoom. Like we have to.'
When Australia last won an Olympic bid in September 1993, to host the Sydney 2000 Games, then Labor prime minister Paul Keating went to Monte Carlo with New South Wales Liberal premier John Fahey to successfully lobby IOC delegates.
