Annastacia Palaszczuk faces rebellion over mining
A group of regional MPs is pushing for action from the leadership team of the Palaszczuk Government in a fight to save their seats following Saturday’s shock election drubbing for federal Labor.
QLD Politics
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A REBELLION is brewing in the ranks of the Palaszczuk Government as MPs push for action from the leadership team to save their seats following Saturday’s shock election drubbing for federal Labor.
While Cabinet Ministers met at the Brisbane Airport on Monday to pore over the election results, regional Labor MPs were on the phone to colleagues discussing the potential loss of the their seats should the Government not act.
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It is understood they could start holding their own regular cross-factional caucus if they do not get a resolution.
Keppel MP Brittany Lauga – who holds her central Queensland seat with a margin of just 3.14 per cent – said she believed the party needed to consider more regional MPs on Cabinet to ensure the Government was as responsive as it could be to the area’s needs after the shock results.
“We need to do something. Whether it is a caucus meeting or a teleconference,” she said.
“We do just need to have a really good discussion about where we are going and what we are doing and how we can try and improve our primary vote in Queensland.
“All the people that I have talked to agree that we need to rip the Band-Aid off, that we can’t have this issue hanging over our head at the next state election or even anywhere close to the next state election.”
Rockhampton MP Barry O’Rourke – one of several MPs to last week raise concerns about Adani’s impact at the party’s pre-parliament caucus – said it was imperative the Government listened to what voters were saying.
“If we have not come to a clear position on Adani before the next election it will be extremely damaging to regional MPs,” he said.
Thuringowa MP Aaron Harper acknowledged that Adani needed to acquire the necessary environmental approvals but said: “I want it done, I want it approved.”
“We have a number of (regional) MPs who just want this thing done so we can move on with this very strong jobs agenda,” he said. “We’ve got a good story to tell in terms of mining and resource jobs in this state.”
LNP Leader Deb Frecklington yesterday called on Ms Palaszczuk (left) to listen to voters and her own MPs and make a decision on Adani today. She has wasted no time capitalising on the Coalition’s success on Saturday, flying to Townsville last night.
“Surely eight years is enough time to make a decision. Your delaying tactics are destroying jobs. Yes or no,” Ms Frecklington said to the Premier.
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