We are only eleven days out from the election and the candidates are out busy on the hustings.
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KAP member for Mount Isa Robbie Katter said Labor has missed the point with their $50m pledge for the Townsville to Mount Isa rail line.
“The bigger issue is how the government has mismanaged pricing and access to the rail line resulting in excessively high prices forcing more and more freight on to the road,” Mr Katter said.
Mr Katter has also pushed the need for a government development bank to support regional industries and infrastructure.
“There is a big gap in lending to credible businesses and projects in regional Queensland. There is great opportunity to stimulate regional development and employment however, there isn’t the private sector financial infrastructure to take advantage,’’ he said.
“It’s hard to get the bankers from Sydney and Brisbane to spend time in regional Queensland to understand that the projects and businesses out there have massive potential.”
Meanwhile, Labor’s Danielle Slade is promoting the government’s FIFO legislation (Strong and Sustainable Resource Communities Act 2017) introduced to stop mining companies having 100% of the employees FIFO.
“This will mean that large mining companies, who have been declared to be local to a community, will have to advertise their jobs in that community,” Ms Slade said.
“I am encouraging all stakeholders to reach out to the Coordinator General’s office and provide comment on their views of whether the SSRCA should apply to mines such as Capricorn Copper, MMG, Lady Loretta and other mines that are close to your local community.”
Ron Bird was campaigning in Mount Isa on Monday and he also congratulated Flinders Shire Council for appearing in Channel Seven Queensland Weekender’s latest video.
Independent Craig Scriven noted that pre-poll voting started on Monday.
“It's established that 20% of voters will vote before the 25th, so it would seem that I've only got 80% of the electorate to engage with,” Mr Scriven said.
“As an Independent, I don't have any ‘deals’, I stand for the people. I represent the people and what is best for our electorate.”
Fellow Independent candidate and Mornington Shire deputy mayor Sarah Isaacs has set up her own website https://sarahisaacs.com.au though there isn’t a great deal of content on it yet.
She links to our initial interview with her and also talks about alcohol management issues on Mornington Island.
It was was one of 19 Indigenous Queensland communities which had an Alcohol Management Plan introduced in 2009 to improve the safety of residents and boost school attendance.
However Ms Isaacs said the island was struggling with a home-brew epidemic and wanted its state imposed alcohol ban lifted, saying alcohol abuse has gotten worse since it was brought in.