The Queensland Transport Minister appears to have taken a hard line in dealing with Uber, asking the company to shut down before she would speak to them.

Uber director of public policy for Australia and New Zealand Brad Kitschke says he and Brisbane general manager Mike Abbott met with Queensland Transport Minister Jackie Trad six weeks ago, when she made the “confronting” request.

Kitschke said Uber wanted to discuss reforming Queensland taxi laws so that its drivers would be allowed to register and operate within set regulations and safety standards.

“The Minister made it clear that, if we wanted to have that conversation, we should shut the business first and then her department and her would have a conversation with us about the next steps,” Mr Kitschke told News Corp reporters.

“We just think that’s ludicrous.”

He said if the company followed the order and shut down before seeking reforms, it would cost the jobs of 20 office staff and 2000 drivers.

Uber says this would be a “concerning” addition to Queensland’s high unemployment rate.

The Queensland Government says Uber is flouting taxi laws, but the company continues to argue that rideshare and taxis are different, and deserve different regulation.

“They are a taxi service, and they inferred as much in the meeting with me,” Ms Trad told the ABC.

“They want to start abiding by some of the regulations that we insist taxis abide by.”