Federal Minister David Littleproud has hit back at comments made by Queensland's Deputy Premier Dr Steven Miles amid a growing stoush between the Commonwealth and state governments over the nation's COVID-19 vaccine rollout.
Dr Miles had suggested that Mr Littleproud's earlier criticism of the Queensland Government's COVID-19 rollout was an attempt to distract from the controversey surrounding embattled MP Andrew Laming.
Mr Miles also said "particularly offensive remarks" aimed at state governments over a slower than expected COVID vaccine rollout weren't needed, adding that Mr Littleproud should give the Federal Government "an uppercut" for not doing better.
However, Mr Littleproud has now responded to Mr Miles's comments by saying that he wouldn't be "lectured" by the former Queensland Health Minister.
"I won't be lectured to by a man who was sacked as health minister and a government that was derelict in their duty of protecting their frontline health workers by not having them fully vaccinated before they treated COVID patients," the statement said.
"His statements today also show why he and his government are incompetent, my statements pertained to assisting the Queensland government roll out the vaccines they've left in the rack rather than in health workers arms."
Mr Littlerpoud has also come under fire from other state governments, including the NSW Liberal Government, for his comments earlier this week.
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the comments left him "as angry as I have ever been in this 15 months of war against this virus".
