Queensland politicians push for Swift concert

Liberal MP and self-proclaimed Taylor Swift fan Andrew Wallace has launched a petition for the pop star to perform a concert in Queensland during her Australia tour.

“I have spent many years driving my daughters around listening to Taylor Swift and I am an absolute convert,” Mr Wallace said.

“Taylor I’m asking you, I’m begging you – I’ll get on my knees if I have to, please come to Queensland.”

Deputy Premier Steven Miles made a post inspired by Swift’s lyrics to his social media accounts, lamenting the singer’s decision to skip the city. 

“Brisbane’s been left with Sweet Nothing, she Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve come to Queensland,” he wrote. 

Mr Miles added that a new arena at Roma Street and a redeveloped Gabba would attract major global superstars like Swift to the city in future. 

Andrew Wallace, a federal Queensland MP and self-described “Swiftie”, has launched a pitch for the singer to come to the Sunshine Coast. 

“This is a terrific thing for Queensland if we can get her here,” Mr Wallace told Sky News Australia. 

He said he had already been in talks with local politicians to hold the concert at the “boutique” Sunshine Coast Stadium, which has a capacity of 10,000.

Queensland fans of the Anti-Hero singer were left devastated after her Wednesday tour announcement contained only five dates for Australia, with three in Sydney and two in Melbourne.  

A change.org petition started on Wednesday has garnered 1,366 signatures in support of the singer coming to Brisbane. 

The push from politicians to get Swift to play in Brisbane has sparked a spirited debate in the community, with some Queenslanders expressing frustration at the focus on a pop concert amid a cost of living crisis. 

“Yes, those living in tents can buy Taylor Swift tickets, with the money they have left over from not being able to afford to pay rent,” one person commented on Mr Miles’ post. 

Queensland’s deputy opposition leader Jarrod Bleijie criticised Mr Miles’ push, saying he had more people reaching out to him about cost of living and crime. 

“I must say I am getting more people reaching out to me for help about their high electricity bills and youth crime than whinging that Taylor Swift is not coming to Brisbane,” he wrote on Twitter. 

“I guess that’s where your priorities are. Concerts, red carpets. Anna is rubbing off on you!”

Even New South Wales Premier Chris Minns weighed in on the debacle, telling reporters with a smirk that it was “devastating for the people of Queensland that Taylor Swift hasn’t seen it necessary to travel north of the border to do a concert”. 

Harvey Lister, the Asia Pacific chair of venue management firm ASM Global, told ABC Radio the star had been “holding dates” at Brisbane’s Lang Park stadium but ran out of time to play more than two cities. 

“As the dates around the world fell into place, Australia got sandwiched a bit,” Mr Lister said. 

“There just wasn’t time to keep leapfrogging from city to city.

“So the decision was taken to play in Sydney and Melbourne where the stadiums can take about 100,000.”

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Swift is one of the most successful artists of her generation, with 12 Grammy Awards under her belt and more than 50 million albums sold worldwide. 

Her Australian tours generally sell out within hours, and demand for the five dates is expected to be high. 

She is currently in the midst of her American tour, which sold out within minutes.