Deb Frecklington’s attack on Annastacia Palaszczuk rebuked

Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington’s stunning spray against Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has earned some stinging rebukes.

OPPOSITION Leader Deb Frecklington has been slammed as nasty after she took aim at how Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk dressed — even calling her a princess.

In a stunning interview in today’s Sunday Mail, the LNP leader said Ms Palaszczuk had deliberately changed her image, describing her choice of clothing as “too much, when there are bigger issues to focus on”.

Deb Frecklington tells how she’ll be a different premier

Premier’s pain: ‘My biggest regret’

Opinion: Real threat to Palaszczuk’s reign

The comments attracted widespread criticism online, including from Deputy Premier Jackie Trad, who said they were astonishing.

“The last time I saw this level of meanness was actually in the movie Mean Girls,” she tweeted.

Federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese also wrote online that Ms Frecklington’s comments about Ms Palaszczuk were appalling, pathetic and unbecoming of someone who wanted to be premier.

State Police Minister Mark Ryan said it shouldn’t matter what clothes someone wore, but how they did their job.

“What her comments clearly show in mind is that she’s mean, she’s nasty, she likes to pick fights with people,” he said.

“I admire the Premier greatly. She’s a lady who not only speaks from the heart, but acts from the heart whenever it comes to her fellow Queenslanders.”

Queensland Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington MP has attacked Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk MP for having a makeover...

Posted by Courier Mail on Saturday, 28 December 2019

In the wide-ranging interview, Ms Frecklington said she had no choice but to remain grounded because of her husband and three children.

“I can have a tough day but then I’ll get a call from one of my kids and you’ve got to deal with whatever’s going on in their lives,” she said.

“She (the Premier), on the other hand, has had a complete makeover — all the makeup, the designer labels, it’s too much, when there are bigger issues to focus on.”

Federal Labor Member for Griffith Terri Butler noted that Ms Palaszczuk had previously spoken openly about her four years of IVF and her battle with endometriosis.

She tweeted that Ms Palaszczuk had been attacked for not being a mother, saying it was a low act.

“The LNP should know better,” she wrote.

LNP frontbencher Jarrod Bleijie came to Ms Frecklington’s defence, insisting he had long said Ms Palaszczuk was a princess premier.

“She prefers the red carpet of Hollywood, the glitz, the glamour, the celebrities, the publicity stunts but has no idea of what’s actually happening in her government or state,” he tweeted.

Ms Frecklington said today she had been simply pointing out her real-world experience and that her kids kept her grounded.

“I won’t stand by and allow the Labor Party to try and twist the love I have for my kids for some warped political gain,” she said.

In a poll on The Courier-Mail’s Facebook page, over half of the nearly 6500 respondents nominated Ms Palaszczuk as the more authentic leader.