Jo-Ann Miller has spoken out about ‘overt bullying’ calling Jackie Trad a 'four-letter word’

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is telling agitated MPs to ‘have a cold shower’ as Trad tensions mount ahead of this afternoon’s caucus meeting.

PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk has poured cold water on MPs agitating against Deputy Premier Jackie Trad ahead of this afternoon’s caucus, declaring her right-hand woman will keep her job.

Despite Labor’s longest-serving MP openly criticising Ms Trad this morning, Ms Palaszczuk said she was not expecting fireworks later.

“Look, as I said on Friday and I’ll say it again, caucus is the place where MPs can raise any issues they have,” she said.

“I expect it to be a very calm meeting today … (Ms Trad) will be Deputy Premier (at the end of it).

“I think everyone should go and have a cold shower, it’s pretty hot out there.”

The Member for Bundamba, Jo-Ann Miller (left) looks on as Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk holds a press conference during a visit to Rheinmetall's Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence in Ipswich, Monday, February 17, 2020. Picture: AAP/Darren England

Earlier this morning, maverick Labor MP Jo-Ann Miller called on Jackie Trad to take a “good long look at herself” after she called the Deputy Premier a “four-letter word”.

It came as Annastacia Palaszczuk hit out at Mrs Miller, insisting that MPs should not be talking about other MPs “like that”.

Ms Miller’s surprise swipe, in which she called Ms Trad a “four-letter word”, came during a radio interview. She had been asked whether the Deputy Premier had damaged Ms Palaszczuk’s chances of re-election.

“Trad is a four-letter word, isn’t it,” she told ABC Radio.

“Maybe I should leave it at that.”

Ms Trad refused to be drawn on Mrs Miller’s referral of her as a “four letter word” as she walked into a Left faction meeting this afternoon.

“Can I say that I think Queenslanders are sick of politicians talking about politicians,” she told waiting media.

“I they want us to be focused on making sure that they have the jobs, the roads, the hospitals and the schools for their children and that’s what I’m focused on working on in this budget.”

At an event in Ipswich this morning, where Mrs Miller came face-to-face with the Premier, the Bundamba MP said the words that locals in her area use when speaking about Ms Trad were “indescribable”.

Jo-Ann Miller and Jackie Trad during a Parliamentary Crime and Corruption Committee meeting. Picture: Adam Armstrong.

“The situation is that many people locally in my community have said to me that they believe that she should go,” she said.

“I was actually quoting locals who have said that what can they say about her except that her surname is a four-letter word.

“And the other issue is too, of course, there are plenty of people in Parliament who have surnames with four letters as well and they’re on the other side.

“I think there’s got to be a realisation sooner or later that this is dragging down the Government.”

When asked if she thought Ms Trad should leave Cabinet, Mrs Miller said she needed to have a “good long look at herself”.

“The Labor Party is bigger than one person or bigger than a couple of people,” she said.

“She needs to not only talk to colleagues.

“She needs to talk to ordinary branch members out in the regions of Queensland.

“I have been talking to some of my colleagues. Some of them are exasperated to be honest. They are concerned.”

During a press conference where Mrs Miller watched on, Ms Palaszczuk said she believed caucus was the place where MPs could raise their concerns.

“I don’t think MPs should be speaking about other MPs like that,” she said.

“I said that people should have a higher standard of behaviour and everyone should be respectful to one another.

“I think a lot of people were very disappointed when Jo-Ann went and embraced Pauline Hanson during the last state campaign. And I was disappointed in that as well.”

Member for Bundamba, Jo-Ann Miller (left) looks on as Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk holds a press conference during a visit to Rheinmetall's Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence in Ipswich. Picture: AAP Image/Darren England

During the radio interview, Mrs Miller suggested she had been ostracised by the Labor Party, calling parliament “the loneliest place in the world”.

She said the Premier didn’t speak to her very often and had not phoned her at all since her resignation as police minister.

“They make it very clear whether you are part of the Labor Party or not,” she said.

“There can be overt bullying and there can be intimidation that is from the other way around.

“(Retired Currumbin LNP MP) Jann (Stuckey) spoke of the silent treatment.

“Oh God, I’ve had that for many years so it’s like water off a duck’s back to me.

“But certainly you get to know whether you are part of it or not part of it.”

She said Ms Stuckey, who quit earlier this month amid her battle with depression and claims of party bullying, was “quite right”.

She said that bullying behaviour was found “across all parties” and likely right around Australian politics.

Mrs Miller said she was “traditional, old-school Labor” who was taught to always do the right thing by the community.

“I think that I would be last of that era of MPs in this parliament,” she said.

Looking back on her demotion to the backbench, Mrs Miller said the Premier had “made it clear” that she had to go as police minister.

At the same time, she was also told to leave the parliament as well, which she refused, the MP said.