Media Release

Yesterday, the QLD Premier announced at a press conference that the 2032 Brisbane Olympic bid had been paused; it followed a statement from Kennedy MP, Bob Katter on Wednesday that called on the Premier to scrap the bid entirely as it is an 'absorb money' project that will not assist QLD in its economic recovery from Coronavirus.

Mr Katter said the Premier's announcement to pause the bid momentarily, rather than scrap it, was not even worthy of a 'bronze medal', and showed once again how out of touch she is with regional Queenslanders.

"Not one person I've met in my extensive travels around regional and north Queensland is supportive of this extreme waste of billions of dollars of taxpayers money, and many in the south-east bubble see it that way too," he said.

“The Premier’s not going for gold, she’s going for broke.

“We didn’t agree with the games pre-Covid-19 but now it is a triumph of absurdity.”

Mr Katter said the Premier's announcement was a half-measure and her economic priorities would be remembered by north Queensland voters at October's state election.

"We are in an economic depression, the way out is public works, but not any old public works - they must be ‘make money’ not ‘absorb money’ projects," he said.

“Super highways and tunnels are great, yes, but they absorb taxpayers’ money forever.

"The royalties and payroll tax out of a taxpayer owned rail line into the Galilee Basin and subsequent mines ‘will last 100 years’.

"The water, revenue and jobs from the Hells Gate Dam (Bradfield Scheme, water for Townsville) and Hughenden Irrigation Scheme will last forever.

"These nation building, mega-job creating projects are shovel ready and waiting for state government approval, but the Premier would rather focus on a two week athletics carnival in 2032 - like the Roman Emperors Nero and Caligula.

"Regional and North Queensland once again is left to pay for a circus in Brisbane."

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