Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you for your protection, Madam Acting Deputy President. I know that Senator Conroy is trying to stop me being heard by the people of Queensland who might have an interest in who is right in the Queensland Labor Party. Is it Ms Bligh, who seems to have the view that they are not going to do it, or is it Ms Kiernan, the Labor Party member for Mount Isa, who is saying that they should have a look at uranium? Or it Mr Tony McGrady, the previous Queensland mines minister, a very influential person in the Labor Party who would now—and I hope that I am not maligning him—describe himself as a lobbyist for those interests that believe that uranium mining should be in the mix? I only say this because I am confused about what the policy is.

I am also confused about Ms Bligh. She said that only she and the Queensland Treasurer are guaranteed their ministry positions after the election—assuming that the Queensland people are going to return her; do not worry about the election; she is going to win anyhow. But she said that only a couple of ministers can be sure of their portfolios. Ms Desley Boyle, the minister based in the seat of Cairns, was one of those who was clearly being pointed out to get the axe. But I see that Ms Bligh was up in Cairns just yesterday and Ms Boyle apparently had a few words to her and said: ‘Hey, I’m not going nowhere. And after the election, Ms Bligh, it could be you that is getting the axe, not me, Desley Boyle.’ This is all relevant to the report—