Virgin Australia bid: Qld warns NSW off out-bidding state for airline

Newly-minted Treasurer Cameron Dick says NSW will “get both barrels” if the southern state attempts to out-bid Queensland in the fight for Virgin Australia.

NEWLY-MINTED Treasurer Cameron Dick says NSW will “get both barrels” if the southern state attempts to out-bid Queensland in the fight for Virgin Australia.

In an appearance on the Today Show this morning, Mr Dick defended Queensland’s proposed bid for the failed airline, saying: “if it doesn’t stack up, we’re not going to invest”.

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He said Queensland’s proposed investment “at this stage” was still $200m.

Host Karl Stefanovic asked Mr Dick what he would do if NSW came in over the top with a higher bid.

“Well I’ve got more than a bazooka now, I’m the Treasurer of Queensland,” he said.

“NSW will get both barrels from me going forward.”

Mr Dick was referring to comments he made before he took over from Jackie Trad as the state’s treasurer, in which as State Development Minister he hit back at a proposal from NSW to rescue Virgin - on the condition it move headquarters from Brisbane to Sydney.

Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick. (News Corp/Attila Csaszar)

“NSW might want to bring a pea-shooter to this fight, we will bring a bazooka and we’re not afraid to use it,” he said at the time.

Later on the Today Show, Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton had another crack at Mr Dick after a Twitter stoush over Virgin earlier in the week.

He said Mr Dick “doesn’t even have the basics right”, is “not up to the task” and the government was “flapping around with these crazy ideas”.

“The Queensland government has gone out of their mind if they think when they have got no money... and they want to go out and buy an airline... in a market that is probably as bad as any market in the past 100 years,” he said.

Earlier this week, Mr Dutton took a swipe at the Palaszcuk Government on Twitter saying:”Premier Palaszczuk has almost bankrupted Queensland, and now in the middle of a crisis they want to buy an airline. It is laughable. She “leads” a government which is corrupt and chaotic.”

Mr Dick responded: “Look mate, stick to cruise ships” - referring to the Ruby Princess debacle.

Stefanovic later suggested Mr Dutton should run for Premier of Queensland, which the Queensland-based federal MP quickly shut down.

“No thanks,” he said.

Originally published as Virgin Australia bid: Qld warns NSW off out-bidding state for airline