State Election 2020: Annastacia Palaszczuk says Jackie Trad will not return to Cabinet
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has declared Jackie Trad will not return to her Cabinet, even if she wins the hotly contested seat of South Brisbane.
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Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has declared Jackie Trad will not return to her Cabinet, even if she wins South Brisbane.
A day after refusing to directly answer the question, Ms Palaszczuk today said Ms Trad would spend the next four years on the backbench if she managed to hold her seat, which is under siege from the Greens.
“Let me be very clear, she will not be returning to Cabinet if the Labor Government is elected,” the Premier said.
“I’ve made that very clear, she’s also communicated that today as well.”
Ms Palaszczuk said that decision stood, even if the Left put Ms Trad up as their Cabinet pick to replace gaps on the frontbench left by retiring ministers.
Earlier today, Ms Trad said she’s “not seeking a return to Cabinet”.
Ms Trad, who was contacted for comment on Sunday, said on Monday she had “only ever put myself forward to represent and fight for my community”.
“Let me make clear, I am not seeking a return to Cabinet,” she wrote on Facebook.
“I am actually in the fight of my political life – as many of my colleagues are.
“The fact is, every MP’s job is up and it’s Queenslanders who get to decide whether or not MPs get to keep their jobs.”
Annastacia Palaszczuk, Deb Frecklington campaign in southeast Queensland
Labor threatens to tear up Greens preference deal over ‘fugly’ social media post
Comment: Jackie Trad will likely become a minister again if Labor wins the state election
Three retiring Cabinet ministers won’t be contesting their seats on October 31: State Development and Tourism Minister Kate Jones, Mines Minister Anthony Lynham and Disabilities Minister Coralee O’Rourke.
Each are from a different Labor faction.
That means there could be a position for each faction to fill, including the party’s powerful Left, of which Ms Trad is a member.
But it’s not clear if she would be their pick.
Ms Trad quit as deputy premier and treasurer in May after she became aware that a Crime and Corruption Commission assessment of claims she interfered with the recruitment of a school principal in her electorate had been turned into an official investigation.
The probe found that Ms Trad did not behave criminally or with “corrupt intent” when she met with a school principal candidate as a “test” arranged by public servants who had told told Ms Trad the true purpose of the meeting.
Ms Trad will now face another candidate in her inner-Brisbane seat, with a sacked Greens candidate set to run for South Brisbane.
John Meyer, who was disendorsed by the Greens two months before polling day over claims he had threatened and intimidated women, has declared he will run as a “sensible Ethical Green Independent” in the key seat this October 31.
Mr Meyer has been highly critical of his former party, hitting out at them repeatedly since their acrimonious split and has warned voters in South Brisbane to beware of them.
He has denied the allegations against him, which do not allege criminality, but rather centre around demands for extra resources in his former campaign for Clayfield and other internal matters.
“The Queensland Greens don’t want outcomes, they just want outrage,” Mr Meyer said in a statement Monday.
“The Queensland Greens don’t listen, they just shout. They weaponise serious issues like violence against women for cheap political gain.
“Sadly, the Queensland Greens aren’t what you think. They’re not in touch with what everyday people care about and need: Jobs, community, a strong economy, clean environment and a good lifestyle.
“That’s why I’m standing as a sensible Ethical Green Independent in South Brisbane.”
His partner, Miranda Bertram, will also run as an “Ethical Green Independent” in McConnel, which is held by Labor Education Minister Grace Grace.
“People expect to find ethics, integrity and care for the environment,” Ms Bertram said of her former party.
“The reality is dishonesty, deception and waste to attempt to win at any cost.
“The Queensland Greens tell you that they are ethical, but they are not.
“They are a Trojan horse full of political cancer.
“The Queensland Greens don’t care about you or your family, they don’t think about you, they think they know better than you.
“Watch what the QLD Greens do, not what they say.”
Originally published as State Election 2020: Annastacia Palaszczuk says Jackie Trad will not return to Cabinet