JPL Olympics champion

Langbroek lands new shadow Cabinet role

QUEENSLAND’S LNP Opposition have created a new shadow Cabinet position focusing on the 2032 Olympic Games bid.

LNP Leader Deb Frecklington has also challenged Labor to include the Opposition in the planning of the Games bid including as part of a delegation heading to Switzerland to meet with the IOC next month.

Ms Frecklington has scrapped the Opposition’s Commonwealth Games portfolio, currently held by JohnPaul Langbroek (pictured), and created a new Olympics portfolio for him instead.

“I believe in our bid and that’s why I’ve made JohnPaul Langbroek the LNP’s Shadow Olympics Minister,” Ms Frecklington said.

“The 2032 Games are a long way off and that means our bid must be supported by a crossparty partnership.

“I’m asking Annastacia Palaszczuk to put politics aside and work with the LNP to bring the Olympics to our great state.”

She last night penned a letter to Premier Palaszczuk advising her of the change and requesting Mr Langbroek be invited to attend next month’s Olympics trip.

“I believe the magnitude of the Games bid warrants clear Cabinet responsibility and accountability,” Ms Frecklington wrote. “The Games are more than a decade away and demonstrating to the IOC that both sides of parliament are backing the event will give our bid long-term stability.”

The move comes almost 16 months after the Commonwealth Games. Ms Palaszczuk is yet to remove the Commonwealth Games portfolio from her Cabinet but the Premier revealed this week that the Minister Kate Jones has been asked to assist with investigating the cost of an Olympic bid.

Her assistance was announced as part of a taskforce of council, state and federal backers to take a preliminary proposal to Games bosses.