Deb Frecklington criticises Labor regional forums

Accusations have arisen from the state opposition that the Labor regional forums are ‘smoke screening’ the public.

Deb Frecklington has criticised the regional forum taking place in the Wide Bay this week as being a “smoke screen”.

South Burnett MP Deb Frecklington claimed on Tuesday the state government had failed to inform the public on matters discussed in the regional forum that took place in Cherbourg on Monday, March 20.

“They have been running since 2019 and there are no outcomes, and no achievements that anyone knows about,” the LNP MP claimed.

She accused the forums of being a smoke screen, and that their content was being concealed under the broad statement of “progressing various priorities identified from their respective Forum Action Plans”.

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“Forums have been held in several regional towns across the state today, including one in Murgon in my own electorate, yet none of us are allowed to know what has been discussed about the future of own region,” Ms Frecklington said.

Deb Frecklington spoke on the issue during state parliament on March 16, 2023, highlighting the lack of transparency associated with the forums. Picture: Kiel Egging.“We still don’t know the selection process and there are no meeting minutes.

“What are these priorities? What are the Action Plans? Are they representative of what the broader community want, or need?”

Ms Frecklington has motioned for the minutes of the forum meetings to be released, because “the community deserves to know what is being discussed and the matters that are being put forward”.

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The Wide Bay Fraser Coast Region Forum has been co-chaired by Maryborough Labor MP and Assistant Minister for Train Manufacturing and Regional Roads, Bruce Saunders, Hervey Bay Labor MP Adrian Tantari and Bundaberg Labor MP Tom Smith.

While the forum is not open to the public, it is made up of 20 appointed community members to represent the public.

A recent press release from the Premiers Office has detailed the current priorities being discussed in the forum, such as workforce attraction, education and training, employment pathways and economic development.

The Wide Bay forum is the first meeting of the Forum members in 2023, with three more Regional Community Forums scheduled throughout the year.

The Regional Community Forums are part of the state government’s Advancing Queensland’s Regions strategy, supported by the Office for Rural and Regional Queensland.

Mr Smith’s office was approached for comment and said it was not surprised Ms Frecklington was “not aware what is happening in her own electorate”.

“The Member for Nanango is still distracted following her savage defeat at the last election which led to her being rolled by her own party as the leader of the LNP,” Mr Smith’s office responded.

LNP MP Deb Frecklington has retaliated to Mr Smith’s comment saying “the petty response just shows the Labor Government is out of touch and really doesn’t govern for everybody”.

“In the case of the Wide Bay/Burnett/Fraser Coast Forum, significant parts of these regions are within the Nanango, Callide, Gympie and Burnett Electorates which are represented by LNP members, and these non-government MPs are deliberately excluded from attending,” she reiterated.