Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has taken a swipe at a federal government backbencher over a Brisbane Olympics spat comment.
Annastacia Palaszczuk has flatly rejected comments the state and federal planning committee had descended into a brawl over the Brisbane Olympics.
The Queensland Premier is embroiled in a seemingly never-ending stoush with Canberra over border policies but this had not extended to the Games, with the organising committee celebrating its bipartisan alliance across the three levels of government.
That was until federal MP Ted O’Brien, who has been appointed as a commonwealth special envoy to co-ordinate the preparations, claimed the Queensland government was trying to stack the deck.
According to The Courier-Mail, he sensationally threatened to pull out of a joint funding arrangement for the $5bn major event.
Mr O’Brien’s comments arose from a stoush over the makeup of the 22-person organising committee.
It was reported Ms Palaszczuk could choose up to nine directors for the board, while the commonwealth would only get four picks.
Mr O’Brien said that would give the state an “extraordinary amount of power” and the selections should be split evenly.
“If the Premier wishes to impose her will in breach of the federal and state agreement I will be left with no choice but to recommend to the Prime Minister that we withdraw from the 50-50 partnership – everything will go,” he said.
The comments infuriated the state government and led to the LNP member reportedly being reprimanded by Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
On Sunday, Ms Palaszczuk was clearly frustrated with the federal member as the Premier delivered a slap down.
“I will work very cooperatively with the federal government,” she said, insisting the council, state and commonwealth was “working so well together”.
“It’s a bit odd for a backbencher to be commenting on something that has been dealt with at the ministerial level.”
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