G20: PM 'using world leaders as pawns'

11 Jul 2012, 1:30 pm   -   Source: AAP
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NSW Planning Minister Brad Hazzard says the Prime Minister is using world leaders as pawns by moving the G20 summit to Brisbane in a bid to win votes.

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Sydney was the obvious choice to host the G20 summit but Prime Minister Julia Gillard picked Brisbane to try and claw back votes across Queensland, the NSW government says.

NSW Planning Minister Brad Hazzard on Wednesday slammed the federal government's decision to hold the 2014 G20 summit in Brisbane.

He said Ms Gillard had made a political move to reclaim support for her party.

"She's chosen Brisbane simply to use the leaders of the world as political pawns in her game to try and win back the votes across Queensland," Mr Hazzard told AAP.

"It's insulting to the 20 leaders."

Mr Hazzard said Sydney was Australia's only true world city and its cultural and commercial prominence made it the clear choice to host the economic forum.

"Sydney has roughly one third of Australia's GDP, it has more than 80 per cent of the headquarters of major financial institutions," he said.

"We have the harbour, we have the Opera House.

"We have everything that should have been available to sell Australia to the world."

Mr Hazzard said Ms Gillard should have decided the location on the merits of the hosting city.

"On any criteria, the merit would have meant Sydney should have been the city where the G20 will occur," he said.

But federal Assistant Treasurer David Bradbury said the NSW government was to blame for its failed bid.

"Brad Hazzard is just playing politics to cover up for his government's decision to shut down Sydney's only major convention facility for three years for renovations," he said in a statement.

"The O'Farrell government's decision to close the Sydney Convention Centre facilities while the G20 will be held in Australia, combined with ongoing concerns about capacity constraints at Sydney airport left Brisbane with the more competitive bid."

A Sydney business group has slammed the federal government for putting its political fortunes in Queensland above the national interest.

"This was the opportunity to further embed Sydney on the global stage and reinforce its place among the great cities of the world," executive director of the Sydney Business Chamber, Patricia Forsyth, said in a statement.

"What Sydney offers simply can't be replicated elsewhere. Brisbane is a terrific city but it's not Sydney."

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