Premier boots Scott Morrison’s hand-picked representatives off Olympic Games committee

The Premier has wasted no time contacting Scott Morrison’s hand-picked Brisbane Olympic Games representatives reminding them his election defeat meant their service was no longer required, despite questions over whether it was her place to do so.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has booted former prime minister Scott Morrison’s hand-picked representatives off Brisbane’s Olympic Games organising committee just days after his election defeat, despite questions over whether it was her place to do so.

The dust had barely settled after the May 21 election before Ms Palaszczuk wrote to former Sports Minister Richard Colbeck and Queensland Member of Parliament (MP) Ted O’Brien on the Wednesday pointing out they were no longer required on the committee.

Senator Colbeck and Mr O’Brien were removed from the committee following the Coalition’s election defeat under Brisbane’s Olympic and Paralympic Games legislation.

But the timing of the letter from Ms Palaszczuk has raised eyebrows among some committee members, who believed the responsibility of writing to the deposed Coalition MPs would fall to organisation president Andrew Liveris.

Ms Palaszczuk is Olympics Minister and a vice president on the committee along with Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner and Olympic stalwart John Coates.

Mr O’Brien declined to comment on the content of the letter or why it was sent by the Premier and not Mr Liveris.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Picture: Tara Croser

The Sunshine Coast MP – who travelled with Ms Palaszczuk to Lausanne in 2019 to promote Brisbane’s Olympic candidacy – said the Premier’s correspondence was cordial and that his dismissal from the committee was not unexpected.

“I did have a chuckle as it was the first letter I received after the election,” he said.

“I was there at the behest of the Prime Minister and I look forward to sitting down with whoever replaces me to do a seamless handover.”

A government spokesman said it was Ms Palaszczuk, not Mr Liveris, who wrote to the pair because she was “responsible for the legislation” which dismissed them.

It is understood the decision to terminate the Coalition appointments would be the responsibility of incoming Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Ms Palaszczuk did not say whether she knew who Mr Albanese would appoint to the committee.

Former Minister for Sport Senator Richard Colbeck and Ted O'Brien. Picture: Lukas Coch/AAP

Mr O’Brien and Ms Palaszczuk have butted heads over the delivery of the Olympic Games, with the LNP MP previously threatening to urge Mr Morrison to tear-up the Commonwealth’s funding agreement over a perceived power grab by Ms Palaszczuk.

New Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is yet to name his appointments to the Brisbane Olympic Games organising committee.

The committee is scheduled to meet on Friday.

Last month, a spokeswoman for the Labor campaign said Mr Albanese’s government would “prioritise all necessary steps to ensure we hit the ground running on the Games”, but would not speculate on committee appointments.

Labor Sports Minister Anika Wells is expected to be named to the committee.

Originally published as Premier boots Scott Morrison’s hand-picked representatives off Olympic Games committee