No sign of Bill Shorten but Cathy O’Toole’s no quitter

Labor’s Cathy O’Toole will continue to fight for the ultra-marginal seat of Herbert, even if Bill Shorten has written her off.

Labor’s Cathy O’Toole on the campaign trail yesterday. Picture: Cameron Laird

Labor MP Cathy O’Toole is refusing to give up on the fight for the ultra-marginal seat of Herbert but does not know if party leader Bill Shorten will visit the prized electorate this week.

Ms O’Toole said she had a battle ahead after yesterday’s Newspoll indicated she was set to lose the seat to the Liberal National Party’s Philip Thompson.

The first-term MP refused to discuss the impact state and federal Labor’s handling of the Adani Carmichael mine project on her re-election bid, instead attacking the LNP for its preference deal with Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party, even though she has put the UAP ahead of the LNP.

The ALP campaign machine is understood to have pulled resources from Herbert, with at least one frontbencher cancelling a visit.

Mr Shorten has been a frequent visitor to Townsville in the past term but has made only one visit since the election was called.

“I’m not aware of his movements this week. Bill has been here 27 times since July 15. He is very aware of what the needs are in this community,” Ms O’Toole said

A Labor insider told The Australian it was “telling” Mr Shorten had last week visited Cairns, further north, where Labor believes it has a chance of winning the seat of Leichhardt, held by LNP MP Warren Entsch.

Ms O’Toole said her tactics would stay the same, despite Newspoll showing Mr Thompson was ahead with 52 per cent of the two-party-preferred vote.

“The priorities for this campaign have not changed. What’s important in this community are jobs. When you win by .02 per cent, 37 votes to be precise, it is going to be a tough battle,” she said.

Insiders and former state Labor MPs said the Adani issue, thrust into the headlines during the campaign after the Queensland Labor government rejected a key management plan, was hurting Labor’s chances of holding Herbert and picking up marginal seats in ­regional Queensland.

Mr Thompson was quick to downplay the Newspoll result, saying the only poll that counted was on election day. He said Ms O’Toole’s reluctance to say she supported the Adani project had turned voters away: “She’s been told she can’t say the word (Adani) by some latte-sipping leftie from Melbourne. If she doesn’t support the Carmichael mine, just come out and say it.

The Newspoll showed primary support for the LNP and Labor had risen to 35 per cent and 30 per cent respectively, up from 31 per cent and 29 per cent in April.

KAP has received a surge in support, up from 10 per cent to 13, while UAP has dropped from 14 per cent to 7.

KAP candidate Nanette Radec­k said the result was more in line with her expectations than the April poll.