Thousands of people have signed an online petition to stop Annastacia Palaszczuk from travelling to the Tokyo Olympics while many Australians are still stranded overseas.
The Queensland Premier, who has had both doses of the Pfizer vaccine, has lodged a travel exemption so she can fly to Tokyo as part of a bid to secure the 2032 Olympics for Brisbane.
But a Change.org petition, understood to have been started by Australians stranded overseas, has already acquired more than 20,000 signatures to stop Ms Palaszczuk from travelling.
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Those signing the petition are calling for Ms Palaszczuk to increase Queensland's hotel quarantine capacity after the premier has continually supported calls for a reduction in hotel quarantine caps in Australia.
Those stranded say it would be unfair for the premier to take one of their spots in hotel quarantine when she returns from the Tokyo trip.
"Annastacia Palaszczuk should not be allowed to steal a precious hotel quarantine space from a more deserving stranded Australian trying to return home," the petition reads.
"(She) has successfully advocated for a brutal and heartless halving of Australian quarantine spaces, making it even more difficult for stranded Australians."
Appearing on ABC's Q+A last week, Ms Palaszczuk said she had received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine in order to safely travel to Tokyo and the trip was an important step in Brisbane's bid to secure the 2032 Olympics.
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"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," Ms Palaszczuk said on the program.
The Palaszczuk Government has long pushed for the 2032 games to be held in Brisbane, with the potential for the international sporting event to pump billions of dollars into the state economy.
"It's worth about $14 billion and I would hope, by 2032, we would be back to a normal society of freedom - it would create over 100,000 jobs."
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Infectious disease expert Dr Paul Griffin said quarantine rules should apply to Ms Palaszczuk following her trip to Japan.
Speaking to Today this morning, Dr Griffin said anyone returning to Australia should have to follow quarantine protocols in place.
"Anybody who is travelling, we want to make sure they can do it safely, to reduce the risk of introducing the virus into our community on their return," Dr Griffin said.
"We need to look to make sure the same rules apply."
Ms Palaszczuk confirmed on the program that on her return, she would quarantine in a designated hotel facility, not at home or at the Lodge.
While defending the trip, Ms Palaszczuk again reaffirmed her stance that travel numbers should be cut and the topic would continue to be discussed during cabinet meetings.
The Queensland Government is pushing to ramp up the number of Pfizer vaccines being administered by the end of the year, with the potential for 24-hour vaccination clinics being introduced soon.
