PREMIER SLAMMED FOR TAKING TWO PRIVATE JETS TO THE SAME DESTINATION
- Queensland Premier slammed for taking two jets for identical routes
- Comes just days after bold emissions targets enshrined into QLD law
- READ MORE: Anthony Albanese slammed for taking two private jets
A Labor Premier has sparked outrage after chartering two private jets to the same destination just days after passing a landmark emissions bill.
Queensland Premier Steven Miles flew in a separate plane to Police Minister Mark Ryan and Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski despite the jets taking identical routes on a 2800km round-trip across the state.
The private jets, which are estimated to cost $6500 an hour to hire, left Brisbane within 15 minutes of each other on Monday afternoon.
Mr Miles and his staff flew in a Embraer Phenom 300 while Mr Ryan and Mr Gollschewski travelled in a Cessna Citation CJ2+, the Courier Mail reports.
The trio touched down in Townsville and held a press conference to announce a series of new measures to tackle rising youth crime across the state.
They then returned to their separate jets and flew on to Cairns.
Mr Miles appeared on breakfast TV on Tuesday morning before the trio returned to Townsville and travelled down the coast to Hervey Bay.
The jets finally returned to Brisbane on Tuesday afternoon with plans for the premier to return to Cairns the following day.
A government spokeswoman said commercial flights were used when possible but hadn't been suitable for the 2800km journey.
She said Mr Miles had only required the use of one QGAir aircraft.
'This week the Premier and new Police Commissioner will meet with Queenslanders and the police right around the state, and share important community safety actions with communities,' her statement read.
'It is this important engagement that underpins the government's community safety plan – listening and delivering.
'Labor is a government for all of Queensland, not just the South East, so it's critical that both the Premier, ministers and the Commissioner travel into the regions.'
It comes just weeks after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Energy Minister Chris Bowen were blasted for taking separate jets to the same destination and just days after a new emissions bill was passed.
Two bills passed in Queensland state parliament on Thursday, the Energy (renewable transformation and jobs) Bill and the Clean Economy Jobs Bill.
The bold vision towards 50 per cent emissions reductions targets by 2030 and 75 per cent by 2035 is now enshrined into Queensland law.
The reforms also lock in an 80 per cent renewable energy generation target by 2035 and entrench public ownership of energy assets.
Mr Miles said the passing of the new legislation was a 'historic day for the Sunshine State' in a post to X on Thursday.
'For me, it's the combination of more than 16 years of work, first as an activist, then as a minister and now as the state's premier,' he said.
'Just as previous generations used our natural resources to lock in the prosperity that we enjoy today, we can use our renewable energy resources with deep storage to deliver that same kind of prosperity to future generations.
Mr Albanese and Mr Bowen sparked outrage last month after they took two separate planes to a $1billion climate announcement.
Mr Bowen was forced to explain the move, saying the runway at Scone Airport wasn't sturdy enough for the prime minister's larger jet.
He said the number of staff who accompanied the pair on the trip also had to be scaled back due to the weight restrictions.
'The Prime Minister always travels with the Royal Australian Air Force… that's for security reasons and quite appropriate,' Mr Bowen said.
'The runway at Scone wasn't strong enough to take the large jet so the Air Force recommended, took a decision, for two small jets.'
Read more 2024-04-23T22:18:19Z dg43tfdfdgfd