Disappointment over Premier’s ‘hypocritical’ social media post

Just two days after tweeting a ‘tone deaf’ comment after receiving the Covid-19 jab, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has been criticised for a ‘hypocritical’ social media post.

A social media post of Annastacia Palaszczuk spruiking her commitment to jobs while standing next to a coal mine has disappointed supporters of the long-delayed New Acland project which is still stuck before the courts.

The image, which was uploaded to the Premier’s Instagram and Facebook accounts last night, includes the caption, “I’m not going to stand by and let people lose their jobs.”

But it has been seized upon by the Facebook page Friends of New Acland Mine, which wrote,

“Can you believe that Annastacia Palaszczuk MP posted this comment and picture on social media yesterday? Don’t worry Premier, we know what you meant to say.”

One of Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s social media posts has come under fire. Photo: Instagram

It’s understood the mine is disappointed by the Premier’s post.

Asked about the post, a government spokesman repeated a previous statement.

“We will await the outcome of the court processes before finalising the remaining approvals for this project,” he said.

The mine, which has wanted its stage three expansion to be approved for more than a decade, is still before the courts after the High Court in February sent the case back to the Land Court.

The High Court judgment was made on the basis that previous appeals had been impacted by the apprehension of bias from an earlier judgment.

This prompted calls for the state government to step in and create new laws as the Bligh Government did in 2007 with the Xstrata Wollombi mine.

New Acland’s owner, New Hope Group, recently reported to the ASX that it would be in care and maintenance this December.

New Acland Coal Mine.

Another 27 staff were made redundant late last month, while a further 18 are expected to leave the workforce by the end of July.

The last coal is expected to be dug during October/November, with the bulk of the remaining staff expected to then leave.

LNP mines spokesman Pat Weir claimed the Premier’s post was hypocritical and frustrating.

“It is in contrast to what has happened at Acland mine,” he said.

“If the Premier was serious about mine jobs she could create 300 today, with the strike of a pen.”

Criticism of the post comes just two days after the Premier was criticised for tweeting a ‘tone deaf’ comment after receiving her first Covid-19 vaccination.

“Today I got the Pfizer vaccine in the event I need to travel to Tokyo for the Olympics,” she later wrote on Twitter, adding a link to register for vaccination with Queensland Health.

Many criticised Ms Palaszczuk for the comment, with Australia’s international borders still closed to the public and domestic travel restrictions in place due to Victoria’s latest lockdown.