The fight around the M1 funding split continues. Mr Mark Bailey said the feds were "ripping off" Queensland and federal LNP MP Andrew Laming accused the minister of simply "fibbing" about government policy. On Thursday, the situation developed further, with Mr Bailey repeatedly refusing to answer whether he considered Logan to be a city or not. The conversation culminated in this frustrating exchange between ABC radio host Steve Austin and Mr Bailey. (Longer transcript below) Austin: "I'm asking you about how the Queensland government sees it. Don't tell - I don't want to know about the federal government. I've asked them. I want to ask you about how the Queensland government sees it."

Minister for Main Roads, Roads Mark Bailey refused to say how the state government defines Logan. Credit:Glenn Hunt Bailey: "The Queensland government sees the federal government's definition as clearly outside a metropolitan area, Steve. The question has to be asked, why are they ignoring their own - (cross talk) to rip off Queensland." In the final weeks of the election campaign, now-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull committed to 50-50 funding for two separate upgrades to the critical stretch of road. Minister for Urban Infrastructure Paul Fletcher. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen But Mr Bailey argued the funding split should have been 80-20, saying similar projects in Queensland and interstate had received more federal funding.

On Wednesday, he flew to Sydney with the "M1 Taskforce" to meet with Urban Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher in an attempt to resolve the impasse. They agreed to look at ways to lower the cost of the projects but remained at a stalemate on the funding split, stalling again on the issue of urban versus regional. Federal and Queensland public servants would call for expressions of interest to get "real costs" for the projects instead of putting out tenders on likely higher "nominal costs". Mr Fletcher said the federal government was prepared to "frontload" funding to get the projects started more quickly. On radio on Thursday, Mr Bailey pointed to federal mapping classifying the southern part of the Pacific Motorway in Queensland as a "non-urban national network", in combination with a statement from Warren Truss reinstating 80-20 funding for roads outside of metropolitan areas as proof his government was being short-changed.

But Mr Fletcher argued the whole Brisbane-Gold Coast stretch was an "urban agglomeration" or "conurbation" and didn't qualify for 80-20 funding reserved for regional areas. "The key point here is that then-deputy prime minister Warren Truss was talking about funding commitments for roads outside of metropolitan area," he said. "Now it's common ground that the M1 runs through one of Australia's largest metropolitan areas, the Brisbane-Gold Coast-Logan conurbation and so unfortunately the press release, which Minister Bailey says establishes some kind of principle here, is simply not relevant." Transcript Austin: So you regard the Logan stretch of the M1 as being in a regional or not a metropolitan area? I just want to get clarity please, Mark Bailey. Do you regard that Logan part of the M1 as being outside a metropolitan area?

Bailey: It is outside the Brisbane metropolitan area and it is defined by the federal government on their own documentation. Austin: No, I'm asking you about what the Queensland government, so you see, I just want to be very clear minister. Please forgive me. So you see that Logan City area as being outside a metropolitan area? Bailey: It is clearly defined by the federal government as being outside a metropolitan area on - Austin: I'm asking you about how the Queensland government sees it. Don't tell - I don't want to know about the federal government. I've asked them. I want to ask you about how the Queensland government sees it. Bailey: The Queensland government sees the federal government's definition as clearly outside a metropolitan area, Steve. The question has to be asked, why are they ignoring their own - (cross talk) to rip off Queensland.

Austin: If you would just answer my question it would help. Bailey: That's the question. Austin: No, don't tell me what the question is. I'm asking you the question. Does the Queensland government see Logan City, which you have declared a city, as a city or not. If it's a city it's a city, if it's not a city it's not a city. Bailey: Steve, we're talking about two M1 upgrades here, one at the merge, one at the Gold Coast. It is all part of the National Land Transport Network, which the federal government defines as an 80-20 funding model. That's what we're saying. We're saying M1 is the same as M1 across the border that gets 80-20. It is the same as the Gateway Arterial, which gets 80-20. It is a very simple case, Steve. I'm standing up for Queensland. We're seeing the federal government trying to treat Queenslanders at a cut-price rate compared to New South Wales. It's a disgrace. They ought to step up, work with us, partner with us to get this done. We've got $86 million on the table from the Palaszczuk government to get these M1 upgrades going and we get these semantic games from the federal government to justify them ripping off Queensland.