M1 funding politics: the embarrassing promise made by LNP star

Moncrieff LNP candidate Karly Abbott has caused a political storm with an embarrassing gaffe at a community meeting, leaving residents “bewildered”.

A LEADING candidate for the soon-to-be vacant blue-chip seat of Moncrieff has caused a political storm by saying the Federal Government is funding an eight-lane highway to the border.

“I’m not going to play politics on the issue (about the M1) but you all know where it stands, it’s a federal-state government funding issue,” Karly Abbott told residents at a Nerang community meeting this month.

“The feds have put the money on the table, waiting for the State Government to do the same.”

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Karly Abbott who is the favourite to be preselected for Moncrieff. Photo by Richard Gosling.

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Responding to questions, Ms Abbott later told the audience: “For the M1, duplication of the lanes, so eight lanes.”

Gaven MP Meaghan Scanlon, who was at the planning meeting, corrected Ms Abbott, who was appearing for her boss, Moncrieff MP Steven Ciobo.

The State Government has committed to joint funding for the six-laning of the Coast southern section of the Pacific Motorway to the border.

Ms Abbott is considered to be a favourite among up to eight candidates in the hotly contested preselection battle for the safe Federal seat. Mr Ciobo announced he will stand down at the election. Ms Abbott has not returned calls from the Bulletin.

Ms Scanlon said she joined Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk last May to announce Labor would tip in extra money to start building a better M1 more quickly because the federal LNP would not give the Coast its fair share.

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Transport Minister Mark Bailey and Gaven MP Meaghan Scanlon with transport staff on a site tour of M1 upgrades.

“It’s bewildering that a local LNP staffer seeking election to one of the safest seats in the country doesn’t know about an agreement made almost a year ago,” Ms Scanlon said.

“This just highlights the arrogance of the LNP, which even its own members publicly acknowledge continue to take our city for granted.

“Gold Coasters deserve federal representatives that fight for fair funding for roads, schools and hospitals.

“I fail to see how they will ever do that when a candidate is unaware of who’s paying what for the largest public infrastructure upgrade happening right now in our city.”

Ms Scanlon said next week’s federal budget was Prime Minister’s Scott Morrison’s last chance to show he understands the needs of growing Queensland communities like the Coast.

In response to questions in state parliament last year, Transport Minister Mark Bailey had outlined the state’s commitments on the M1.

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Work on the M1 upgrade between Mudgeeraba and Varsity.

The upgrade from Varsity Lakes to Tugun would cost $1.03 billion, with the State Government providing $5 million in 2018-19 and $15 million in 2019-20, he said.

In May, the Palaszczuk Government agreed to a 50-50 funding split to fix the M1 after then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull pledged $1 billion as long as the state matched it.

The highway between Varsity Lakes and Tugun would be widened from four to six lanes and from six to eight lanes on the Brisbane stretch between Eight Mile Plains and Daisy Hill.

The work would immediately follow the widening of the M1 from four to six lanes between Mudgeeraba and Varsity Lakes due to be completed in 2020.