After months of speculation Annastacia Palaszczuk has called an election for November 25 and all parties in Queensland are gearing up for a massive four week of feverish campaigning.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Ms Palaszczuk said people could trust her government because it has kept its commitments to Queenslanders.
“In less than 1000 days, my Government has made a strong start repairing the damage done by Campbell Newman and Tim Nicholls,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“Queensland is now a state of progress not provocation, a state of cooperation not confrontation, and a State united, not divided.”
Ms Palaszczuk said they had restored frontline services cut by the LNP in hospitals, in schools and in communities and had kept electricity assets in public ownership and created 122,500 new jobs.
Opposition leader Tim Nicholls said Queensland was at a crossroads.
“Together, we can build a better Queensland or we can stand still for another three years under Labor,” he said. “Queenslanders aren’t getting ahead and the community is crying out for leadership – only the LNP can and will deliver that leadership.”
He said there were 30,000 jobs lost last year and record high youth unemployment.
In our region the seat of Mount Isa has been abolished and replaced by the new seat of Traeger which stretches from the NT border to Charters Towers.
KAP member for Mount Isa Robbie Katter is confident of winning the new seat.
“I’ve worked really hard and it’s been a real purple patch for me in terms of bringing things back to the electorate,” Mr Katter said.
“People are very ticked off with mainstream politics, major parties don’t properly allow you to do the job.”
Speaking last week his Labor opponent Danielle Slade said the Palaszczuk Labor Government had again demonstrated its commitment to North West Queensland with $7.7 million announced for local infrastructure projects.
They are among five candidates so far listed for Traeger including LNP’s Ron Bird, Sarah Isaacs (independent) and the newly announced Greens candidate Peter Relph from the Tablelands.
“I'm a retired jack-of all-trades, with technical backgrounds in chemical laboratories for medical and mining and as a radio technician in the RAAF,” Mr Relph said. “I joined the Greens in 2015 because they are the only party on a social justice platform and focus their duty to the Australian people.”