Budget reply analysis: Steven Miles’ crocodile tears can’t mask the hypocrisy in attack on Premier

Labor MPs are outraged over the questionable waste of time and effort in changing Queensland’s logo from maroon to blue, but he said nothing when Annastacia Palaszczuk’s branding was slapped on almost all health advice during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Leader of the Opposition Steven Miles during his budget reply speech. Picture: Liam Kidston

Labor MPs are outraged Queensland’s logo now aligns with LNP blue – where was the fury when Annastacia Palaszczuk unashamedly politicised the Covid-19 pandemic?

The new government’s decision to change the state’s logo from maroon to blue was, of course, a questionable waste of time and effort.

However, it was galling for Opposition Leader Steven Miles to cry crocodile tears in his budget reply speech about the blurred separation between government and politics.

“Our state identity and logo appearing on TV screens, letterheads and reports will now so closely align with LNP branding you would easily get the two confused,” he said.

Yet this opposition leader said nothing when the branding of his boss Ms Palaszczuk was slapped on almost all Queensland Government data and health advice distributed every day during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Queensland Government coat of arms in blue.

Much of that data was controlled by and released only at the behest of the Labor Premier’s office.

Mr Miles is right to now question the cost and reason of changing the state’s coat of arms from maroon to blue – but he and every Labor MP should reflect on why they’re finding their hypocritical voice now.

This logo saga is a risk for the government if Queenslanders – like they did under Ms Palaszczuk – believe their leaders have misplaced priorities.

However, dedicating much of the start of his budget in reply speech and asking on Thursday if Mr Crisafulli had ‘misled radio listeners’ over the issue has jumped the shark.

Originally published as Budget reply analysis: Steven Miles’ crocodile tears can’t mask the hypocrisy in attack on Premier