Queensland's premier won't shift the besieged Stirling Hinchliffe as Commonwealth Games minister because it would send a bad message to other Commonwealth countries.
Annastacia Palaszczuk denied reports Mr Hinchliffe will be stripped of the Games portfolio to focus on his job as transport minister and fix the Queensland Rail crisis which has caused commuter chaos.
The Courier-Mail has reported the under-pressure minister would lose his Commonwealth Games portfolio to Kate Jones, the woman he replaced in the job last December.
But on helping announce ticket prices for the 2018 Gold Coast Games on Sunday, the premier insisted she had no plans to make a second Games ministerial change in 11 months.
Ms Palaszczuk said Mr Hinchliffe was a "senior cabinet minister" in her minority Labor government and it wouldn't be a good look 17 months out from the event.
"I don't think it would send a very good message to our other Commonwealth countries or the international federation if there was a change made to our Commonwealth Games minister," she told reporters.
When challenged that Ms Jones had been shifted late last year, the premier said she had been given big responsibilities with the education and tourism roles.
"They wouldn't like another change so close out," Ms Palaszczuk stressed.
The chairman of Games organising committee GOLDOC, former Labor premier Peter Beattie, also backed Mr Hinchliffe to stay in the post after commending him on the Games transport plan and event preparations.
"It's none of my business but I'm hoping he'll stay," Mr Beattie said.
Mr Hinchliffe, under constant attack for the past fortnight due to a QR staffing shortage, said he was "absolutely confident" he could handle both roles.
"The roles are complementary in that one of the key tasks of the 2018 Commonwealth Games is in relation to the transport challenge," he said.
But Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls questioned how the premier could have faith in Mr Hinchliffe overseeing the 2018 Games when he was so dedicated to "fixing up the train mess".
"If he is 100 per cent dealing with the train crisis how can he be having anything to do with the Commonwealth Games?" Mr Nicholls asked.
On releasing affordable ticket prices, GOLDOC reiterated their intentions to stage a Commonwealth Games that strongly caters for families.
The cheapest tickets at athletics sessions at Carrara's Metricon Stadium will be $20 for adults and $10 for children, including free transport.
"This will be the most family-friendly Games as humanly possible," Mr Beattie said.
"We could have gouged people but we didn't. We think families and children are more important."
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