Jackie Trad accuses Opposition of racism after comparison to former Saddam Hussein propaganda boss

DEPUTY Opposition Leader Tim Mander has refused to apologise for a comment about Deputy Premier Jackie Trad in Parliament that she labelled “deeply deeply alarming and personally offensive”.

DEPUTY Opposition Leader Tim Mander has refused to apologise for comparing Deputy Premier Jackie Trad in Parliament to the propaganda boss for the notorious former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

Ms Trad accused the Opposition of racism after the comparison, saying being compared with a dictator behind “some of the most awful genocides within our recent history” had crossed the line.

Ms Trad, who is of Lebanese descent and has previously been labelled “Jihad Jackie” by the Opposition, said the latest attack from Deputy Opposition Leader Tim Mander was “deeply deeply alarming and personally offensive”.

Queensland deputy Premier Jackie Trad said the comment was ‘deeply deeply alarming and personally offensive’. Picture: AAP Image/Dave Hunt

But Mr Mander this afternoon refused to apologise, labelling Ms Trad’s reaction as “mock outrage” and accusing the Government of hypocrisy after they likened Ms Frecklington earlier this year to North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un.

He said his comment was aimed at the Government’s “economic incompetence”.

“I compared Jackie Trad’s commentary on the state of Queensland’s stagnating economy to the ridiculous statements made by Comical Ali,” he said.

“Queensland has the highest unemployment rate in the country, plummeting business confidence, and flatlining domestic growth meanwhile Jackie Trad keeps telling Queenslanders they have never had it so good.”

Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf, seen in an image from video in 2003, was dubbed ‘Comical Ali’.

“I find Labor’s hypocrisy breathtaking after a senior cabinet minister likened LNP leader Deb Frecklington to a North Korean dictator earlier this year and not a word was said.”

Mr Mander’s initial comments this morning came after he accused Ms Trad of glossing over a negative CommSec state of the state report into Queensland economy and branded her “Comical Ali”, the name media gave to Mr Hussein’s propaganda chief during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

“Despite bombs blowing up, dropped by American jets around them, despite having tanks rolling into the streets of Baghdad, despite behind him, while he is having an interview, the statue of Saddam Hussein falling over, said, ‘there’s nothing to see here’,” Mr Mander said this morning.

“Mr Speaker I’ll explain how it’s relevant. Despite everything that was going on at that comical stage of the Gulf War, things going around him and the minister for propaganda saying otherwise, we have a Treasurer who is ignoring the metaphorical bombs that are going on around her in the economic sense.”

Queensland Deputy Opposition Leader Tim Mander has refused to apologise. Picture: AAP /Darren England

Ms Trad immediately jumped to her feet on a point of order.

“I found the contribution from the member for Everton (Tim Mander) deeply, deeply alarming and personally offensive,” she said.

“To compare me to a Middle Eastern dictator, Saddam Hussein, is something that should not be in this chamber Mr Deputy Speaker.

“If those in the Opposition want to talk about trends then let me talk about all of the racist trends and comments opposite.

“I will be writing to the Speaker about this, this is an appalling standard.”

Ms Trad called on Deputy Opposition Leader Tim Mander to resign over his comments.

If he won’t, she said she believed Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington should request his resignation.

“There are so many other references that Tim Mander could have thought of to make his point but he chose a racially based reference in relation to my performance.

“This is not the first time this has happened in Queensland Parliament and it is time for it to stop.”

Ms Trad later said she had been the victim of repeated racial and cultural “slurs and taunts” from the Opposition but being compared with a dictator behind “some of the most awful genocides within our recent history” had crossed the line.

“I’m calling on Deb Frecklington to stand up and be a leader and call for Tim Mander’s resignation,” she said.

She rubbished suggestions the comment was part of the regular sparring within Parliament, accusing Mr Mander of deliberately launching the alleged slur.

“This was a calculated speech, he was reading from notes … he should have gotten up and apologised immediately but he didn’t,” she said.