One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson criticises Annastacia Palaszczuk’s Olympics decision

One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson has criticised a key decision Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk made about the Brisbane Olympics.

Controversial One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson has criticised Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s decision to name herself Olympics Minister ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Games.

Ms Palaszczuk will head the ministerial team organising the event, following a swearing in ceremony on Thursday.

She first announced the cabinet changes on Twitter, including that Deputy Premier Steven Miles is now Minister Assisting the Premier on Olympics Infrastructure.

“Hosting the 2032 Games will generate $8 billion in economic and social benefits, in addition to 91,600 jobs,” she said on Thursday.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will head the ministerial team organising the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Senator Hanson on Friday slammed the Labor premier’s appointment, calling it a “joke”.

She said Ms Palaszczuk should instead be focusing on reopening Queensland’s borders to residents stranded interstate.

“What a load of rubbish that is. I wish she’d be the minister for opening up the borders of Queensland,” she told Sky News’ Chris Kenny.

“To allow the 3000 Queenslanders that can’t come home to their own state and other people to see their loved ones and family members, and that includes me, I wish she’d actually concentrate on that.”

One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson says the Queensland premier should be focusing on reopening its borders. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Peter Lorimer.

Queensland’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes were celebrated in Brisbane on Friday, in a parade attended by hundreds, for their achievements at the 2021 Tokyo Games

The Brisbane event will be the third Games held in Australia, following Melbourne in 1956 and Sydney in 2000.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said securing the Games was a “coup for the nation” and agreed that the federal government will cover half the infrastructure costs.

Ms Palaszczuk flew to Tokyo in July to make a final bid before Brisbane secured the Games, despite calls for her not to travel and take up a spot in hotel quarantine.

A Welcome home celebration for Tokyo Olympians and Paralympians was held in King George Square, Brisbane on Friday. Picture: Richard Walker

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, federal Sports Minister Richard Colbeck and Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates travelled with her to Japan.

An online petition with more than 130,000 signatures had demanded that Ms Palaszczuk be refused permission to travel while Australians were stranded overseas.

Senator Hanson on Friday accused Ms Palaszczuk of being “inconsiderate and uncompassionate” and criticised her decision to keep Queensland’s borders closed to states with high numbers of Covid-19 cases.

Senator Hanson has faced criticism of her own during the coronavirus pandemic, with health experts denouncing her false claims about vaccines and bizarre claim that it was a person’s right to choose to catch Covid-19 and die.