Adani mine: State Labor tries to present united front
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and her leadership team have assembled for a photo opportunity in a show of unity after a week of internal turmoil.
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ANNASTACIA Palaszczuk and her leadership team assembled for a photo opportunity yesterday in a show of unity after a week of internal turmoil.
In an unusual combined weekend appearance, the Premier was joined by Treasurer Jackie Trad and State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning Minister Cameron Dick at Sea World to announce $145 million in funding to revamp The Spit.
Asked why most of the leadership team were present, Ms Palaszczuk said: “We often do things together.”
Ms Trad rubbished suggestions caucus was trying to look united after a week of rumours of factional friction in the Cabinet and rumours of a leadership challenge.
“Not at all,” she said.
“This is the third time I’ve stood up with the Premier this week.”
The pre-Budget announcement yesterday came one week after federal Labor was left with just six out of 30 Queensland seats, after losing both Herbert and Longman.
Regional MPs have argued that Labor’s drubbing was proof that inaction over the Carmichael mine would see the State Government thrown out next year.
Ms Palaszczuk, who is also trade minister, jets off to Japan today for high-level talks with the state’s second-largest trading partner, leaving her deputy Ms Trad in charge.
Labor faithful who staffed regional polling booths last weekend described Ms Trad as “toxic” over her perceived lack of support for mining jobs, while results out of West End polling booths reveal she would have an almost unwinnable fight to keep her inner-city South Brisbane seat out of the Greens’ hands.
But southeast MPs say the vitriol towards state Labor has been overblown.
“The narrative that Labor lost because of Jackie Trad is ridiculous but I think they’re doing a good job of getting that up,” one MP said of Ms Trad’s detractors yesterday.
It followed a bad week for Ms Trad, in which she fended off “ridiculous” suggestions she could be after Ms Palaszczuk’s job, with her supporters describing the pair as fiercely loyal to one another.
Ms Trad was forced to counter Right faction talk around pushing her out of the deputy role with offers to fund favoured projects and programs in next month’s Budget.
Labor insiders hope last week’s navel-gazing will fade and are strategising ahead of a yes or no answer to Adani in less than three weeks’ time.
Many are glad at least the federal loss gave Labor the opportunity to finally address Adani, recalibrate its “sell” in the regions and extract promises from Ms Palaszczuk that she would be more receptive to regional MPs’ feedback.
A bloc of regional MPs, from Townsville to Maryborough are so far holding off with their threats to create a sub-caucus that would meet separately, as the Nationals’ MPs do in Canberra.
Yesterday, Ms Palasczcuk wanted to talk only about the Gold Coast Spit.
“We will see a total of $145 million which will see the finalisation of the master plan of The Spit, turning it into the premier ocean park,” she said.
The Premier said $60 million of the Budget would be allocated towards The Spit to develop parklands, an underwater diving and snorkelling attraction, new boardwalks, boating facilities and parking.
Another $50 million would be funded by Sea World and $35 million would be tipped in by Gold Coast City Council.
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