'Sad day for women': Queensland LNP leader under fire for 'Princess Palaszczuk' comments
|
Version 0 of 1. Deb Frecklington said she had ‘no choice but to remain grounded’ because she had children, and said the premier’s fashion choices were ‘too much’ Federal and state Labor MPs have rounded on the Queensland LNP leader, Deb Frecklington, after she criticised Annastacia Palaszczuk for her fashion choices and said she had “no choice but to remain grounded” because she had children. In an interview with the Sunday Mail, Frecklington said Palaszczuk had “deliberately changed her image – the whole ‘Princess Palaszczuk’ is pretty obvious – but I haven’t changed mine”. “I have no choice but to remain grounded, because of [my husband] Jason and the girls,” Frecklington said. “I can have a tough day but then I’ll get a call from one of my kids and you’ve got to deal with whatever’s going on in their lives. She, on the other hand, has had a complete makeover – all the makeup, the designer labels, it’s too much, when there are bigger issues to focus on.” Frecklington has three children between the ages of 17 and 21. Palaszczuk has spoken openly about having had a miscarriage, unsuccessful attempts to have a child through IVF, and her painful history of endometriosis, which can affect fertility. Federal Labor senator Kristina Keneally criticised Frecklington’s comments in a series of tweets, referring to a statement in the report that Frecklington bought her clothes at Target and Cue, in contrast to Palaszczuk, who has begun shopping at the upmarket Scanlan & Theodore, according to the Sunday Mail. It was “even more shameful” that a woman was attacking a fellow female politician for her wardrobe choices, Keneally said. The deputy premier, Jackie Trad, said Frecklington’s comments were “astonishing”. The state member for Cook, Cynthia Liu, said in a statement posted on Facebook that it was “a really sad day for all women when this sort of garbage is published”. Another state Labor MP, Kim Richards, reiterated Liu’s comments. Other Labor members, including Mark Furner and the attorney general, Yvette D’Ath, also weighed in. The former federal Labor MP Emma Husar said Frecklington’s comments were “the epitome of everything that’s wrong with politics”. Asked about the criticism, Frecklington told Guardian Australia she was “simply pointing out my real world experience and that my kids keep me grounded”. “I won’t stand by and allow the Labor party to try and twist the love I have for my kids for some warped political gain.” |