Premier ‘lacks guts’ to sack Miller
THE Queensland Opposition says Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk doesn’t have the guts to sack rebel backbencher JoAnn Miller after she compared her own government to the corruption of the Bjelke-Petersen era.
Ms Miller told State Parliament on Tuesday the premier and other senior officials ignored her concerns about allegations of corruption against former Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale.
Her remarks have been followed by growing calls for her sacking by former Labor MPs.
Shadow treasurer Scott Emerson yesterday told parliament the Premier could not control her MPs and lacked the guts to sack Ms Miller.
“This premier doesn’t have the spine to punt the member for Bundamba,” he said. “She doesn’t have the guts to stand up to the CFMEU.”
Former Labor minister Robert Schwarten has urged rank and file members to revolt against Ms Miller by emailing the party office and calling for her to withdraw her nomination for the seat.
“She’s not doing this for any other reason other than selfinterest and she needs to be called out,” he said yesterday.
Ms Palaszczuk has ruled out dumping Ms Miller over her statements, and doing so would threaten her minority government’s hold on power.
On Tuesday, Ms Miller said the party’s decision not to act against Pisasale was comparable to the attitude of the National Party government led by Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, which oversaw rampant police corruption later exposed by the Fitzgerald Inquiry.
Ms Palaszczuk said she was “hurt and upset” by Ms Miller’s comments but refused to expel her from the Labor party.