Assets still for sale

QUEENSLAND Premier Anna Bligh emerged from a tense three and a half hour long Labor caucus meeting last night declaring there would be no back down on privatisation.

Premier Bligh told reporters outside the Brisbane meeting that it was a constructive and positive meeting but no changes would be made to the asset sale policy.

The marathon meeting – where several backbench MPs were believed to have raised strong concerns about the controversial policy – started at 3pm and finished soon after 6.30pm.

It came after Bundamba MP Jo-Ann Miller and other state MPs last week spoke out against privatisation following Labor's hammering in the federal election.

More MPs joined the unrest in the days leading up to last night's meeting and there has been speculation about whether Premier Bligh would keep the top job past Christmas. Despite the growing push from MPs for her to rethink the privatisation policy, Ms Bligh earlier said a rethink is not possible unless a new way to cover debt and fund new infrastructure is found.

Backbenchers arriving for the tense meeting said they supported Ms Bligh, but others did not comment on where they stood on the privatisation plans.

Murrumba MP Dean Wells, who has spoken out against privatisation, said the meeting was about a “rethink, not about a revolt” on asset sales.

“It's very routine, especially at times like these, to have a look at the ways we're doing things,” he told reporters.

He said he would be putting options on the table, but none of those involved a leadership change.

Springwood MP Barbara Stone said the meeting was a chance for backbenchers to give their constituents a voice and there would be no leadership challenge.

Last week Premier Bligh has argued Labor's election win in the Ipswich seat of Blair – where more than 700 workers are employed at QR National workshops – is proof privatisation is a minor issue for voters.

But Bundamba MP Jo-Ann Miller claimed her boss was drawing the wrong conclusion, claiming ALP MP Shayne Neumann was returned by Ipswich voters because he had taken a strong anti-privatisation stance.

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