He would choose the wellbeing of his city over a Labor government’s beliefs. 

 “I think if I was state member for Mount Isa and if ... I start negotiations with the leader of the Labor Party, I think that would be one of my conditions of support, that the status quo remains,” Cr McGrady said. 

But it was his job to negotiate with the state government. 

 “I have worked for six years trying to persuade governments to change the ludicrous ban on uranium,” Cr McGrady said. 

“I did that because of the amount of jobs uranium mining would create in North West Queensland.” 

Gulf jobs lost with the closure of Century Mine could be replaced with two major uranium deposits, he said. 

A change of government did not mean a halt in plans to extend the copper smelter’s operations. 

Local government minister David Crisafulli supported the smelter’s extension but yesterday he conceded defeat in his seat of Mundingburra yesterday to ALP candidate Coralee O’Rourke.

Cr McGrady said he briefed the then opposition leader Annastacia Palaszczuk about the progress on the copper smelter’s extension. 

“The statements she made leading into the election was they would abide by the basic decisions we had arrived at with the previous government,” he said. 

Member for Mount Isa Rob Katter said the extension of the copper smelter was his first priority. 

A risk of uranium mining being overturned by a Labor government was not an immediate priority. 

 “It is a big issue and it is a concern but we need to keep in mind the fact it’s still five years from being viable,” he said.