Brisbane 2032 Olympics: Premier too slow to add Paralympics to ministerial title

Annastacia Palaszczuk has been slammed for denying requests for a year to finally include Paralympics in her ministerial title.

Paralympic champions have revealed they personally lobbied Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to change her title for months behind closed doors – but were ignored until they went public.

Paralympics Australia education manager Ella Sabljak said she knew of at least six athletes who had urged Ms Palaszczuk to change her title to “Minister for the Olympics and Paralympics” over the past year, but after their pleas “fell on deaf ears” they had been forced to seek help from the Paralympics Australia Athletes’ Commission.

“We all took it upon ourselves to rally and I guess lobby for the change individually,” Ms Sabljak said.

“I did a talk at the QAS (Queensland Academy of Sport) forum for the female directors of sport and there were comments off the back of that from people saying they would also reach out to the Premier, there were conversations about reaching out to her personally.”

Paralympic swim champions Monique Murphy and Karni Liddell said they both addressed Ms Palaszczuk personally, with Murphy sending an emotional plea to change the title in a letter to the Premier’s office last December, and Ms Liddell offering a friendly warning.

“A lot of us took action to send letters and ask her at events. I sent her a letter last year and had quite a dismissive reply,” Murphy said.

Liddell said the tension between the Paralympic community and Ms Palaszczuk had been brewing, and she tried to warn Ms Palaszczuk of a looming public campaign.

Karni Liddell

“I sent a message to (her office) to give her a heads up, saying they’re (Paralympic Athletes’ Commission) were going to do a campaign,” Liddell said.

“I know that I’ve been retired some time now but a lot of Paralympians have been upset about this.

“It’s a shame it took a letter – she was a disability minister.”

The Paralympics Australia Athletes’ Commission went public on Wednesday night with their unprecedented letter pleading with Ms Palaszczuk to amend her title.

After The Courier-Mail reported on the open letter, it took Ms Palaszczuk less than 40 minutes to finally agree to the change.

Ms Palaszczuk said yesterday she now recognised and accepted it was an issue Paralympians felt very strongly about, and she was more than happy to add the term to her title.

However when asked if it was an error to not have included the term Paralympics in her title from day one, Ms Palaszczuk said: “No, not really.”

“Because as I explained I actually checked this, because I was concerned myself, I checked with the International Olympic Committee,” she said.

“They did indicate that there wasn’t any issue with it, but I understand this is a feeling that is coming from the Paralympians themselves, and therefore I’m happy to (include the term in the title).

“We want an inclusive Games.

“I was also a previous minister for disabilities as well (and) I want to make these games as inclusive as possible – so very happy to do that.”

A number of other critics weighed in on the sudden backflip, with Opposition disability services spokesman John-Paul Langbroek saying he found it bizarre Ms Palaszczuk only agreed to the title change after it became a media issue.

“I’m concerned that the Premier refused to listen for a year and once again has only changed her tune because she’s worried about her carefully crafted media image,” Mr Langbroek said. “(Opposition Leader) David Crisafulli’s title has from the outset been shadow minister for the Olympics and Paralympics, a decision made 12 months ago when Queensland won the bid.

“At the time the Premier did not share that view.”

Paralympic Australia president Jock O’Callaghan said he knew of multiple people who had approached Ms Palaszczuk about the title at functions.

“We had tried to do it very carefully and very sensitively, and that had happened over the course of many, many months – beginning in October,” Mr O’Callaghan said.

“I remain so concerned the athletes at the heart of the issue had to come out publicly (on it) ... they had to step out well beyond their comfort zones.”

He said it had been a “really difficult day and a really difficult process”, but he was determined that everyone could now move forward.

“We tried so hard and we really wished it hadn’t happened this way,” he said.

Griffith University 2032 Games strategy expert Dr Caroline Riot said Ms Palaszczuk’s inability to recognise para-athletes within her ministerial title had sent the wrong message to Queenslanders, and the response could have been addressed sooner.