Queensland DP dismisses Liberal, Labor partnership

The Australian says LNP officials reached out to Labor last week, amid anger over the state government's plans to cut taxpayer funding of political parties. Photo / File

Queensland's deputy premier says it's absurd to suggest Liberal National Party (LNP) officials wanted to team up with Labor to publicly attack his government.

The Australian says LNP officials reached out to Labor last week, amid anger over the state government's plans to cut taxpayer funding of political parties.

It said the extraordinary plan for a joint LNP-Labor press conference involved the rival parties' presidents.

The paper said unnamed sources from the parties had confirmed LNP officials proposed the press conference but Labor rejected the idea.

Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney on Tuesday dismissed the report as "absurd".

He blamed the story on donor and billionaire Clive Palmer - who Mr Seeney has accused of seeking special treatment from the government for his development proposals.

"I know the president of the LNP and I know the senior executive and I know none of them would be involved in that," Mr Seeney told ABC Radio.

"I would think (the source is) probably Clive Palmer.

"I'm confident that nobody in the LNP hierarchy would ever even consider doing something like that."

On Monday, Mr Palmer savaged the government's plans to cease taxpayer funding of political parties.

He said it would open the door to private donations and give richer parties an unfair advantage that would undermine democracy.

Comment has been sought from Mr Palmer, who's denied seeking special treatment from the government for his developments.

Mr Seeney said the government was adamant that taxpayers' money should not be funding political parties when the state's finances were in such a mess.

"Every dollar we spend on political parties threatens somebody else's job," he said.

The government on Monday told Mr Palmer to butt out, after he attacked public sector job cuts and said they wouldn't put a dent in the state's debt.

Mr Palmer also accused the government of lacking compassion, saying it was cutting jobs without care or concern for the children of axed workers.

Comment is also being sought from LNP President Bruce McIver and Queensland Labor president Andrew Dettmer.

-AAP