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No action on Miller despite Joh slur

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says she won't censure Labor MP Jo-Ann Miller, who has likened her own government to that of Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen.

Miller
Labor MP Jo-Ann Miller has accused her own government of ignoring corruption. (AAP)

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Source: AAP


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Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has brushed aside Labor MP Jo-Ann Miller comparing her government to the notorious Bjelke-Petersen era as "Jo-Ann being Jo-Ann".

Ms Palaszczuk on Wednesday rejected the comparison, but wouldn't call for her rogue colleague to be expelled from the Labor party.

"Well, there's an election coming up and the people of Bundamba will have that choice," Ms Palaszczuk said.

"I feel quite hurt and upset, because I pride myself on my integrity."

"I think she's Jo-Ann being Jo-Ann."

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Queensland's minority Labor government has 42 seats, and ousting the maverick backbencher from the ALP would leave them equal to the Liberal National Party opposition on 41 and at risk of not being able to pass legislation.

Ms Miller, who was axed as police minister in 2015, said she warned the premier and other senior figures about corruption allegations against former Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale but her concerns were ignored.

She said the party and the premier chose not to act against Pisasale, a member of the ALP, because of his extraordinary popularity in Ipswich, where he was routinely re-elected with more than 80 per cent of the vote.

She compared the attitude to that of the infamous National Party government of Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen prior to the Fitzgerald Inquiry in the late 1980s, which exposed widespread corruption in the government and police force.

"It reminded me of another era in this parliament -- the Sir Joh era when he, too, was popular. There were also murmurings about dodgy money then, but because he was popular and a card-carrying National Party member the sins were washed away until Fitzgerald," she said.

Deputy Premier Jackie Trad addressed state parliament on Wednesday afternoon saying there was no evidence of Ms Miller contacting her to discuss corruption allegations.

Ms Miller then rose to address that statement, saying she had referred her allegations to the Crime and Corruption Commission however "that does not stop me from advising the premier or any other minister of what I may have done".

Former Labor government minister Robert Schwarten has accused Ms Miller of talking "bile and venom" calling the Bjelke-Petersen comparison "a disgraceful slur".

"If you were a Bronco and you said the Broncos were the worst team in history, I know what Wayne Bennett would do," he said.

"But no team player ever does that, because if they don't like the team they're playing with they go and play somewhere else."

Dumped Labor MP turned independent member for Cairns Rob Pyne applauded Ms Miller's statement, claiming it "confirmed everything I have been saying about corruption in government administration".


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