Deputy Premier Steven Miles accuses Scott Morrison of taking a ‘week off’ to campaign for LNP
Scott Morrison says Steven Miles “really has to grow up” after Queensland’s Deputy Premier accused the Prime Minister of “taking a week off” to campaign with the LNP in Queensland.
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Scott Morrison says Steven Miles needs to “grow up” and focus on his job after the Deputy Premier accused him of “taking a week off” to campaign with the Liberal National Party in Queensland.
The Prime Minister joined LNP leader Deb Frecklington in Redbank, in the electorate of Bundamba (Labor, 9.8 per cent), where he opened a new Rheinmetall military manufacturing facility and joined his state counterpart in announcing the LNP’s $135m for a new manufacturing training facility nearby.
Annastacia Palaszczuk, Deb Frecklington campaign in southeast Queensland
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“I think this guy’s got to grow up, I really think he does,” he said of Mr Miles.
“The defence of our country is a serious business. Managing the Australian economy out of the worst recession, the COVID recession, is serious.
“I think those sort of careless and juvenile remarks reflect terribly on him.”
Mr Morrison said part of his job was to talk to Queenslanders about the federal budget, which was handed down last week.
“Being Prime Minister is the greatest responsibility anyone can have in public life and being here to talk to Queenslanders this week about how our budget and our economic plan is going to get Queenslanders back into work, that may have been something that has escaped him (Mr Miles), but it hasn’t escaped me,” he said.
“I’ve noticed he’s made the odd remark about this and I’d encourage him to do his job and frankly grow up.”
Mr Morrison, who joined Ms Frecklington on the campaign on Saturday, said Queensland would benefit if it elects an LNP government because he would work better with Deb Frecklington than Anastasia Palaszczuk.
He has accused the Premier of picking fights and playing politics on past projects.
It came after Mr Miles used today’s press conference to launch an attack on the Prime Minister, as he tried to remind voters that they won’t get Mr Morrison if they vote for the LNP on October 31.
“I’ve said for some time that the Prime Minister is personally running the LNP’s campaign here in Queensland – at least it appears this way,” he said.
“But I’d like to emphasise that he is not a candidate in this election.
“If people vote for the LNP, they won’t get Scott Morrison. They will get (Opposition Leader) Deb Frecklington.”
Mr Morrison hit the hustings with Ms Frecklington yesterday as the LNP leader campaigned in the marginal electorate of Currumbin.
The Deputy Premier claimed Mr Morrison was taking a week off the job amid the COVID crisis, as he suggested Ms Frecklington would do whatever Mr Morrison tells her to do.
“They said yesterday that they would be joined at the hip,” Mr Miles said.
“And while there have been times during this pandemic where it’s been incredibly important that governments work together, and our Premier and the Prime Minister have worked together at those times.
“But there have been other times when it’s been incredibly important for the safety of Queenslanders that we have a Premier that will stand up for our state.”
The LNP announced $135m towards a new manufacturing facility owned by weapons manufacturing company Rheinmetall.
Rheinmetall Vehicle Systems Asia Pacific chief executive Gary Stewart said the newly announced facility, which the LNP would contribute $135m to, would be a training ground for new apprentices.
He said the proposed contribution from the LNP would enable them to build the facility more quickly.
The Rheinmetall Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence precinct, which was officially opened by Mr Morrison on Sunday, covers 11ha and will be the manufacturing hub for the Australian Defence Force’s Boxer reconnaissance vehicles.
The company, which has a manufacturing workforce of more than 450 employees based in Redbank, will build 211 Boxers for the Australian Army, along with more than 2500 armoured trucks.
Mr Morrison said the facility was part of Australia’s largest equipment renewal program and was funded through the increase in Defence spending to 2 per cent of GDP.
He said the investment would increase national security and provide jobs for Queenslanders.