Steven ‘Smiles’ sick of attack dog role; Labor MPs to vote against government’s euthanasia laws
Annastacia Palaszczuk’s deputy is growing tired of his chief headkicker role and the personal damage it is causing him.
The Palaszczuk government’s Steven Miles is growing tired of his chief headkicker role and the notoriety it is giving his image.
Multiple sources have told the Chooks that Miles has griped about being regularly leaned on to lead attacks on the Morrison government.
The deputy premier has a gift for it, and his sometimes sharp missives at Canberra, has seen his profile skyrocket interstate after assuming the role ahead of last year’s state election.
He has now become, like his predecessor Jackie Trad, the pollie people love or love to hate.
Queensland Labor politicians in Canberra have been regularly asked about “this Miles guy” who has made a name for himself with his antics.
They include accusing Scott Morrison of using the Covid vaccination rollout issue as a distraction from “Brittany Higgins, rape and sexual assault”, dubbing Josh Frydenberg a liar, mocking Donald Trump’s Covid-19 diagnosis, handing out a dirt sheet on an LNP candidate and ripping up an invoice from the NSW government for the care of Queensland COVID-19 patients in NSW hospitals.
The attacks became so routine that a slip of the tongue at a Labour Day rally came across as Miles calling the Prime Minister a “c. t”. (In fact he stammered while saying ‘contrast’).
The attack dog persona is a surprising contrast to the affable, humorous bloke dubbed “Smiles” by those who know him.
But the stunts have grown tiresome and Miles, the Left faction leader and a potential future premier, has told colleagues and friends he is aware of the damage he is doing to his own reputation and his standing in the eyes of the public.
Not that Right faction rivals Annastacia Palaszczuk or Cameron Dick mind, of course.
Labor MP to vote against euthanasia laws
At least three of Annastacia Palaszczuk’s factional allies will vote against her centrepiece election pledge — to legalise voluntary euthanasia.
Joe Kelly, a former nurse who represents Greenslopes on Brisbane’s southside, became the first Labor MP to declare they will vote against the Bill.
Mr Kelly, a member of Labor’s Right faction, told Parliament he could not support legislation which he believes has too many legal risks for nurses and other medical professionals.
Bart Mellish, who holds the seat of Aspley on Brisbane’s northside, declared he will also vote against the bill, as well as Logan MP Linus Power has previously expressed “reservations” about the bill. He is one of the only MPs that has sat in the chamber for the entire debate.
The assistant minister to the Premier, will on Wednesday afternoon detail why he plans to vote against the legislation.
“I’ll be voting no on the bill. My reasons will be outlined in my speech I’ll be giving,” Mellish told the Chooks.
A number of MPs within Labor’s right faction, of which Palaszczuk is the most senior member, have expressed concerns about the legislation but Mellish is the first to confirm he will vote “no”.
Charis Mullen, assistant treasurer and rising star of Labor’s Right, was rumoured to be on the fence about parts of the legislation, particularly the inability for church-aligned aged care homes and hospitals to deny euthanasia to residents in some circumstances.
When the laws were being drafted earlier this year, Palaszczuk promised religious organisations they would be given the right to conscientiously object to the scheme.
But muscling by the dominant Left faction ensured terminal patients at faith-based facilities would still be able to end their lives if they were too sick to be moved somewhere else.
Amendments moved by LNP deputy David Janetzki will remove this obligation.
Mullen told the Chooks she had “carefully considered Janetzki’s amendments specifically regarding entities (amendments 31 – 38) but will not be supporting these amendments”.
Both major parties have given MPs a conscience vote, which will be cast on Thursday evening.
Former LNP leader John-Paul Langbroek will miss out on the vote because he is in the middle of a 14-day quarantine stay.
Langbroek, who represents Surfers Paradise, had been in Victoria for his father’s funeral.
LNP mates point the finger at Bates
Deb Frecklington may not be leader of the LNP anymore but she still has a loyal following.
Speaker Curtis Pitt wrongly accused Frecklington of getting too rowdy during a speech by Annastacia Palaszczuk on Wednesday morning.
The real culprit was Mudgeeraba MP Ros Bates – who surely holds the record for being thrown out of the chamber the most number of times.
LNP colleagues Dale Last and Brent Mickleberg came to Frecklington’s defence, literally pointing fingers of blame at Bates.
“This is a great parliament when people give up others to the Speaker,” Pitt said.
McMillen’s casual vacancy
Corrine McMillen is back in the house after she missed the first day of parliament because she was deemed a casual contact of a Covid-19 case.
Earlier, she told the Chooks: “I am following the health advice like everyone else should and will return to parliament as soon as I receive a negative result”.
Miles unmasked
Steven Miles has been forced to leave his Brisbane 2032 face mask at home after it was banned from parliament.
The deputy premier has been sporting the Olympic-themed mask since Brisbane was announced as the host city (hopefully he owns more than one and has not been wearing the same mask since July).
Speaker Curtis Pitt suspended debate on Tuesday night to warn MPs not to wear masks that support political parties, unions or campaigns as they are “considered disorderly”.
“In addition, it has never been orderly to wear jerseys, sporting hats or other sporting gear in the chamber, which is in accordance with the general rules of the chamber,” he said.
“Block coloured or patterned masks or surgical masks would be deemed suitable.”
Premier’s “Mean Girls” gibe
Annastacia Palaszczuk has revealed her inner Regina George by taking a “nasty” crack at the Parliament’s longest serving MP.
The Premier’s cheap shot was directed at veteran Fiona Simpson who has never served on the government front benches, despite being an MP since 1992.
During Question time, Simpson, a former Speaker, asked Palaszczuk if she could guarantee private documents handed to the Integrity Commissioner by the Opposition and public service whistleblowers would not be handed over to government staff.
“Yes,” Palaszczuk answered before blasting Simpson’s “stupid question” and saying “that’s why you were never a minister”.
Opposition MPs, including former leader Deb Frecklington, leapt to Simpson’s defence blasting Palaszczuk for being “nasty” and a “mean girl”.
“Seriously?” Frecklington said, shaking her head.
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