Mark Bailey, Michael Hart fire up over Gladys, Annastacia cartoon

A senior Queensland Government Minister is in a Facebook war of words with a Gold Coast MP over a newspaper cartoon lampooning Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

A Facebook war of words over the bombshell resignation of NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has erupted between Transport Minister Mark Bailey and a Gold Coast MP.

The spat came after Michael Hart, the LNP Member for Burleigh, posted a newspaper cartoon lampooning the difference between Ms Berejiklian and her Queensland counterpart Annastacia Palaszczuk when it came to “questions of trust”.

Mr Hart said the cartoonist had “nailed it”.

“The difference between premiers and the way they are treated by the media is stark … one does the honourable thing and resigns, the other thumbs her nose at us,” he posted.

But Mr Bailey leapt to his boss’s defence in cutting comments on Mr Hart’s Facebook page.

“406 NSW Covid deaths vs 7 QLD Covid deaths yet to barrack for Gladys & NSW Michael not Qld,” the Minister posted, complete with a rolling eye emoji.

“We’ve avoided many lockdowns because Annastacia has kept Qlders safe.”

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Minister for Transport and Main Roads Mark Bailey PICTURE: Brad Fleet

Mr Bailey also posted a pic of Mr Hart in front of a billboard proclaiming “Planes = Jobs, Open The Queensland Borders”.

Mr Hart hit back, saying it was “funny” Mr Bailey had a comment about the cartoon but not about his post about a “lack of consultation” with indigenous people about the controversial Stage 4 light rail over sacred Burleigh Hill.

Mr Bailey retorted that Transport and Main Roads staff had met with First Nations people at “many community consultation sessions”.

Michael Hart MP (closest camera) unveils a new billboard campaign, along with Go Golfing Managing Director Peter McCarthy, at Burleigh Heads, calling on Labor to end the border shambles and get more flights into the Gold Coast. Picture Glenn Hampson

“The Palaszczuk Labor Government has three First Nation MPs in our party room (none in LNP) & a proud record of working with First Nations community on major infrastructure projects and this will be no different,” he wrote.