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With Queensland Labor seeking a third term in power, a recent cabinet reshuffle would appear to be the last thing Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk needed right now.
While the “only back Adani while visiting Clermont” faction of the Labor Party say that South Brisbane MP Jackie Trad stepping down from her departmental roles has actually put the party on the front foot heading into this year’s election, it seems that these feelings haven’t resonated across the base.
One local card-carrying CFMEU member and mortal enemy of Campbell Newman and John Howard says he’s actually heartbroken that his party must now enter the 2020 election against the LNP without his favourite West End environmentalist.
Betoota Heights FIFO coal miner, Bligh Weatherill (45) reckons he only just got his head around the Labor Government’s complex land-clearing restrictions, and it’s such a shame to see Trad become the victim of factional politics.
“I’m really disappointed” he said.
“In my opinion, Shorten would have probably won all of the central Queensland swing seats if he had someone like Jackie Trad talking to rural voters”
This follows Sunday’s announcement that the now former Deputy Premier and Treasurer would be standing aside from her ministerial duties during an investigation by the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC).
The Opposition referred Ms Trad to the CCC five months ago, alleging she interfered with the recruitment and selection process of a principal for a new school.
Mr Weatherill says this character assassination on his favourite inner-city Labor-Left politician is disgusting, and that the party should feel ashamed for allowing in to happen.
“As someone who digs coal up for a living, I care about the class standards of elite inner-city public schools more than anyone. But I still think this was unfair”
“Labor should have protected her against these petty LNP accusations that she intervened in getting her mate a job as the principal of this Dutton Park high school they built to cater to the local spill off from Brisbane State High”
Weatherill says if we are really gonna gee up CCC investigations, why don’t we start with all those blokes still sitting in prison for owning a motorbike.
“Who cares about that school anyway. No one is going to enrol. Yuppies don’t send their kids to public schools unless they can piggyback off the higher grades of Asian kids from the city outskirts.”
“If it ain’t selective, then Hugo and Margarett will be sent to Grammar”