‘We were excluded’: Lord Mayor hits back at Palaszczuk over Games plan

“There wasn’t a lot of thought and rigour in the process, and there certainly was never a business case for the redevelopment of the Gabba. And if there was a business case, well then, none of us had ever seen it.”
While Palaszczuk pulled no punches on Thursday morning, Schrinner said the former Labor government hadn’t treated the LNP-led council as equals.
“While we strived really hard to be team players, it became increasingly difficult when we weren’t treated as members of the team,” he said.
“We were treated as outsiders, we weren’t involved in key decisions, we were excluded, and we were kept out.”
Schrinner, who has made a submission to the Games venue review initiated by the LNP government, said he was confident the current process was being upheld to a satisfactory standard.
“I’ve also had a chat with the chair of that body, Stephen Conry, as well, effectively reiterating what was in my submission,” he said.
“The impression I got from that meeting was that all options would be considered, that it would be a rigorous process, that it would be based on business cases, it would be based on detailed assessments, and it certainly wouldn’t be based on politics.
“That gave me a lot of heart.”
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Schrinner said he “wasn’t sure” whether Palaszczuk’s claim that the committee had already chosen Victoria Park for the stadium was accurate.
“I haven’t heard that the committee has made up their mind,” he said.
“Obviously, I’m very interested in the outcome, but I think that a stadium was always part of the plan when it comes to the Olympics.
“In a very short period of time, we’ll get certainty.”
With the resignation of councillor Krista Adams as deputy mayor and chair of the council’s Economic Development, Nighttime Economy, and the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games Committee, Schrinner vowed to take more of the Games responsibilities himself.
“Obviously, I’m a member of the organising committee myself – being a vice president – but will also have a councillor to assist me in that role,” he said.
The venue review is due to report back to the Crisafulli government in March.
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