The Queensland government has again brushed aside an attempt to get a discussion of a separate North Queensland state on the parliamentary agenda.
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After getting no joy when he asked in the Townsville sitting of parliament about a state referendum, new North Queensland First party leader Jason Costigan used question time this week to ask for a breakdown of royalties from the North West Minerals Province in the last 30 years.
He was rebuffed by deputy premier Jackie Trad who said Mr Costigan's new party was a "subset of the LNP".
Ms Trad did not answer the question directly but reiterated the Premier's answer in Townsville, that Queenslanders were stronger when they were together.
"At no time is that more obvious than when we face natural disasters," Ms Trad said.
"The appeal which the Premier has kicked in $100,000 will see donations across our state. It does not matter which communities have been affected."
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Ms Trad said all of Queensland's wealth get shared by everyone in the state.
"Whether people are paying elevated levels of payroll tax in the south-east it gets distributed to our regions," she said.
"That is why more than 60 per cent of our capital expenditure budget is being spent outside the south-east."
Mr Costigan's questions follow a tour of northern and north-west Queensland as he tries to sell the message of his new party promoting a separate state.
"North Queensland First says it all and will press buttons with everyone in North Queensland," Mr Costigan said.
"I know people are hurting, the issues are many and varied and my ambition is to ultimately get separation and develop a blueprint for statehood for North Queensland and along the way we need politicians of the NQF variety in the parliament.
Mr Costigan, who was expelled from the LNP earlier this year, said he would look to contest seats across North and Central Queensland in the 2020 election but admitted he had work to do to cut through.
"I'm not going to do the Clive Palmer thing and put up a thousand billboards on the Flinders Hwy," he said.
"It's grassroots stuff, connecting with many people on our journey."
Mr Costigan said failure of the premier to answer his question on a separation referendum has not dented his enthusiasm.
"The Premier has put her cards on the table that she won't commit. That's no surprise," he said.
"The question had to be asked in the regional parliament given the audience.
"It was only the second time it was in Townsville since Queensland broke away from NSW. I wonder how many people thought that couldn't be done all those years ago."
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