Queensland election: Grow up, Scott Morrison tells Deputy Premier Steven Miles

The PM tells Queensland Health Minister and Deputy Premier Steven Miles to focus on his job as the Queensland election campaign gets testy.

The Prime Minister Scott Morrison addressees a press conference at Neumann Steel on the Gold Coast. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Sarah Marshall

Scott Morrison says Steven Miles needs to “grow up” and focus on his job after Queensland’s Deputy Premier accused him of “taking a week off” to campaign with the Liberal National Party in the state.

The Prime Minister joined LNP leader Deb Frecklington in Redbank, in the electorate of Bundamba (Labor, 9.8 per cent), where he opened a new Rheinmetall military manufacturing facility and joined his state counterpart in announcing the LNP’s $135m for a new manufacturing training facility nearby.

“I think this guy’s got to grow up, I really think he does,” Mr Morrison said of Mr Miles.

“The defence of our country is a serious business. Managing the Australian economy out of the worst recession, the COVID recession, is serious.

“I think those sort of careless and juvenile remarks reflect terribly on him.”

Mr Morrison said part of his job was to talk to Queenslanders about the federal budget, which was handed down last week.

“Being Prime Minister is the greatest responsibility anyone can have in public life and being here to talk to Queenslanders this week about how our budget and our economic plan is going to get Queenslanders back into work, that may have been something that has escaped him (Mr Miles), but it hasn’t escaped me,” he said.

“I’ve noticed he’s made the odd remark about this and I’d encourage him to do his job and frankly grow up.”

Mr Morrison attends the official opening of the Rheinmetall Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence. The defence technology company in Redbank will create more jobs for Queensland. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Sarah Marshall

He said the investment would increase national security and provide jobs for Queenslanders.

Earlier, Mr Miles accused the PM of “taking a week off from leading our country” during a pandemic to “run” LNP leader Deb Frecklington’s Queensland election campaign.

Mr Morrison is expected to stay in Queensland for several more days.

Mr Miles took a swipe at Mr Morrison while on the campaign trail with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital on Sunday morning.

“I want to make a comment about the Prime Minister of Australia choosing to take a week off from leading our country during this pandemic, during this crisis, to campaign for the LNP,” he said.

“I’ve said for some time that the Prime Minister is personally running the LNP’s campaign here in QLD, at least it appears that way. But I’d like to emphasise that he is not a candidate in this election. If people vote for the LNP, they won’t get Scott Morrison, they will get Deb Frecklington, she is who will be the Premier. She will cut, she will cut services, cut health staff.”

“She’ll probably be in a minority government with Pauline Hanson’s party and Clive Palmer’s party. Think about that chaos.”

Mr Miles said while Ms Frecklington said she would be “joined at the hip” with Mr Morrison, Ms Palaszczuk had been unafraid to stand up to him when it was in QLD’s best interests.

“She will do whatever the Prime Minister tells her to do,” he said.

“Where there have been times during this pandemic where it’s been incredibly important that governments work together. And our Premier and the Prime Minister have worked together at those times, but other times, when it’s been incredibly important for the safety of Queenslanders that we have a Premier that will stand up for our state...to anyone, even if that is the Prime Minister. When that made sense, that’s precisely what she did.”

“She stayed strong when Deb Frecklington, and Scott Morrison, and Pauline Hanson and Clive Palmer demanded we open the borders.”

Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles speaks during a visit to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital (RBWH), as Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk campaigns for her re-election. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

“Yesterday, Scott Morrison tried to pretend that he’d always supported our border position, but he and his government went to the High Court with Clive Palmer to try to drag down our border protections that have kept Queenslanders very very safe. That’s the stark choice Queenslanders have.”

Mr Morrison, who also joined Ms Frecklington on the campaign on Saturday, said Queensland would benefit if it elects an LNP government because he would work better with Deb Frecklington than Anastasia Palaszczuk.

He has accused the Premier of picking fights and playing politics on past projects.

The LNP announced $135m towards a new manufacturing facility owned by weapons manufacturing company Rheinmetall.

Rheinmetall Vehicle Systems Asia Pacific chief executive Gary Stewart said the newly announced facility, which the LNP would contribute $135m to, would be a training ground for new apprentices.

He said the proposed contribution from the LNP would enable them to build the facility more quickly.

The Rheinmetall Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence precinct, which was officially opened by Mr Morrison on Sunday, covers 11ha and will be the manufacturing hub for the Australian Defence Force’s Boxer reconnaissance vehicles.

The company, which has a manufacturing workforce of more than 450 employees based in Redbank, will build 211 Boxers for the Australian Army, along with more than 2500 armoured trucks.

Mr Morrison said the facility was part of Australia’s largest equipment renewal program and was funded through the increase in Defence spending to 2 per cent of GDP.