Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner to spray Premier over delaying council projects for political points

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner has been endorsed to run for the LNP in next year’s local government elections — but not before firing a broadside at the Labor Premier.

ADRIAN Schrinner has been officially endorsed as the LNP’s candidate for Brisbane lord mayor in the upcoming March election.

Cr Schrinner, who was elevated to the top job following Graham Quirk’s resignation in April, took to the stage at the LNP state convention today, where he took more swipes at the State Labor Government over its handling of Brisbane Metro.

Scott Morrison addresses LNP state convention in Brisbane

Party members unanimously endorsed him to take on Labor’s Rod Harding in next year’s council election.

Cr Schrinner used his speech to urge party members to get behind his team as he ramped up campaign efforts.

“Your support for my team in March will let us continue our strong record of delivering for this great city,” he said.

“It will continue the legacy of Campbell Newman and Graham Quirk.

“It will stop the Labor Party bringing to Brisbane the kind of economic vandalism they have shown at the state level.”

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner listens to Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s speech to the LNP state convention yesterday. Picture: Jono Searle/AAP

Cr Schrinner also took the opportunity to thank his predecessor, Mr Quirk, for his service to the party and the city.

“You’ve set a very high bar for us, and we’ll do our best to reach it,” he said.

“And to Anne Quirk, thank you also for your dedication to the city.

“As (my wife) Nina and I are quickly learning, being lord mayor of Brisbane is a job for two people.”

Taking aim at Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, Cr Schrinner again likened his Brisbane Metro project to the Adani mine, saying it was suffering the same state government delays.

“Premier Palaszczuk is particularly good at slowing down our projects — throwing roadblocks and hurdles in our way,” he will tell the party faithful today.

“(Brisbane Metro is) very quickly becoming Brisbane’s Adani.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk

“And all the Premier’s fake outrage about her government’s deliberate hold-ups on the mine could now also be used to describe their go-slow on Metro.”

The LNP administration claims it was blindsided last month when the state told them just days before tenders closed for the project that they would have to move their planned underground Cultural Centre Metro station.

In his speech today, the Lord Mayor will urge the Government to approve the $944 million project and “get out of the way”.

“Labor’s criticism now is that we’re moving too fast on Metro,” he will say.

“If their approvals process for the Adani mine is their idea of an acceptable time frame, I’m happy to be accused of moving too fast.

“As you know, Queensland will have local government elections in March next year.

“And the Labor Party is doing everything it can to block this project, so they can then turn around in March and accuse the LNP of failing to deliver on our election promise.”

Transport Minister Mark Bailey has previously disputed Cr Schrinner’s claims, saying they had warned the council months ago about concerns with the Cultural Centre station.

The council is yet to confirm if the scheduled completion date of the project in 2023 will now have to be pushed back or if there will be any significant cost blow-outs.

Cr Schrinner’s attack on the Premier comes a day after Prime Minister Scott Morrison used the LNP state convention to accuse her of stalling southeast Queensland’s 2032 Olympic bid.