Adani mine: Labor MPs in emergency meeting with Premier

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has been forced to hold an emergency meeting with regional MPs amid unrest within her Government’s ranks over its handling of the Adani coalmine.

ANGER at the Palaszczuk Government’s handling of Adani’s Galilee Basin mine is so intense State MPs say they could lose their jobs and have been asked to stay away from Federal polling booths on Saturday.

The Courier-Mail can reveal regional MPs including Mackay’s Julieanne Gilbert and Rockhampton’s Barry O’Rourke forced the Premier into an emergency meeting yesterday afternoon after rising in Monday afternoon’s pre-Parliament caucus to air their concerns about the project.

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The caucus was told the sentiment in regional Queensland is so bad members of the Federal campaign in the seat of Herbert had requested State MPs stay away from polling booths as they battle it out to hold on the ultra-marginal seat.

It is understood the MPs who attended yesterday’s meeting included Ms Gilbert, Mr O’Rourke, Gladstone MP Glenn Butcher and Townsville-based Minister Coralee O’Rourke.

The Premier’s office was yesterday insisted the meeting was not regarding Adani and was a simply a regular meeting.

Multiple sources, however, say the meeting was called because of the concerns of MPs.

They are understood to have told their caucus they had been abused by constituents while working pre-poll booths on behalf of their Federal candidates.

Their families are understood to have also been copping abuse.

They want the Government to come up with a strategy to stop Adani overshadowing the State Election in less than 18 months’ time, potentially costing them their seats.

The MPs aired frustration at the inability of the State to cut through on other mining projects that are going ahead.

This comes despite a regional ad campaign run by the Government in recent weeks spruiking its resource jobs credentials.

Labor strategists working on the Federal campaign have been throwing their hands up in frustration at the inability of their state colleagues to keep a lid on the Adani saga as they attempt to win seats across the State like Dawson, Capricornia and Flynn.

Labor this week dedicated a large amount of time in Parliament to the resources industry, announcing plans for new and expanded projects, in a bid to gain back ground.

Originally published as Adani mine: Labor MPs in emergency meeting with Premier