Pandemic fight puts Queensland Olympics at risk

Scott Morrison’s Olympic envoy has warned Annastacia Palaszczuk to stop picking political fights about the Covid pandemic, saying it could threaten Australia’s Olympic bid.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Picture: Dan Peled

Scott Morrison’s Olympic envoy has warned Annastacia Palaszczuk to stop picking political fights with the federal government about the Covid pandemic, saying it could threaten Australia’s Olympic bid.

Annastacia Palaszczuk plans to travel to Tokyo this month to make a final pitch to the International Olympic Committee before they vote on whether Brisbane will host the 2032 Olympic Games, but conceded her trip may have to be cancelled.

Brisbane’s bid was selected as the only candidate to be put to a vote in Tokyo, but Olympic powerbroker John Coates has previously cautioned against Australia assuming victory, with the IOC still in talks with other countries.

Ms Palaszczuk said her state’s Games bid – to be held in venues across South East Queensland – had progressed so far because of good relationships between three levels of government.

“The one thing that is standing out for the International Olympic Committee is the co-operation between national, state and local (governments),” she said.

But the fragile relationship between the state Labor government and the federal Coalition is unravelling rapidly.

Ms Palaszczuk last year praised the Prime Minister’s pandemic leadership saying was doing an “outstanding job bringing all of the states together and listening”. On Thursday she accused Mr Morrison of misrepresenting discussions at national cabinet.

Ted O’Brien, the Prime Minister’s Olympics representative, advised Ms Palaszczuk to “put down your weapons”.

“Nothing kills an Olympic deal faster than political disunity,” he said.

“Our pitch to host the Games is based on an extraordinary degree of political unity between our three tiers of government. Let’s not compromise that unity three weeks before the International Olympic Committee is set to vote on our proposition.

“We share a common goal and that’s to roll out the vaccine which, in turn, demands states and territories work as one with the federal government, not pull in an opposite direction.”

The Premier defended her overseas travel plans despite her deputy Steven Miles earlier this week arguing the international border should be closed to business and leisure travellers.

“It’s not good enough that just because you can afford a business-class flight or a charter flight you can breach our closed international borders,” Mr Miles said.

Ms Palaszczuk argued the Olympics were official state business and committed to quarantining at a hotel on return. She will cancel her trip if Queensland’s Covid situation does not improve.

Tit-for-tats over vaccine advice and quarantine facilities continued on Thursday, with Mr Miles insisting the number of people arriving in Australia was unacceptable.

Mr Miles said allowing international arrivals into Australia came “at great cost and risk to Queenslanders”.

“The federal government makes the decision about whether people can come, but that cost is borne by Queensland taxpayers and the Covid risk is borne by Queenslanders,” he said.