Queensland state Labor MPs ‘poison’ to Labor’s campaign

Annastacia Palaszczuk’s regional MPs have been told not to hand out how-to-vote cards because of voter anger over Adani delays.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Picture: AAP

Annastacia Palaszczuk’s regional MPs have been told not to hand out how-to-vote cards in the ultra-marginal Labor seat of Herbert because of voter anger over the state government-led delays to the proposed Adani coalmine.

State regional Labor MPs, who yesterday met with the Premier, were told by federal Labor MP Cathy O’Toole they “were poisonous” and could damage her struggle to hold on to the Townsville seat.

The order was raised at a state Labor caucus meeting on Monday, where several MPs confronted Ms Palaszczuk and Treasurer Jackie Trad over the government’s handling of the now-stalled project.

Several Labor MPs and party insiders have told The Australian that the regional MPs yesterday called for a private meeting with Ms Palaszczuk and Ms Trad over fears the Adani project delays could lose them their seats.

Ms Palaszczuk’s office initially said the meeting was a regular catch-up with regional MPs, ­before later describing it as the “last chance for state budget ­discussions’’.

“Adani was not discussed,’’ a spokesman said.

State government demands for further reviews on management plans — which followed state and federal environmental approvals — have now stalled the project, which the Indian conglomerate scheduled to begin construction before Christmas.

State MPs have told The Australian that regional MPs have been abused while handing out Labor how-to-vote cards during the current election campaign over the government’s handling of the Adani mine.

“What is at the heart of it is that these MPs fear they are going to lose their seats because of the delays and politicisation of the project,’’ one MP said.

“These are areas that are struggling economically, have lower unemployment and people are fed up with the political ­shenanigans.

“Graham Richardson says ‘the mob usually gets it right’ and I think the mob, in this case, has worked out that the Premier is saying one thing and doing the other in stalling the mine.’’

Just a week into the federal campaign, Labor insiders and two former state MPs told The Australian that the handling of the Adani coalmine project was damaging Bill Shorten’s hopes of winning marginal Coalition-held seats in regional Queensland.

The Opposition Leader hoped to make gains in Queensland, where the Coalition holds 21 of the 30 federal seats, and retain Labor’s only regional seat, the Townsville electorate of Herbert.

Several sources said Ms O’Toole had told local state MPs — Scott Stewart, Coralee ­O’Rourke and Aaron Harper — to stay away from polling booths.

“Adani is killing us in north Queensland,’’ Mr Harper is reported as saying, after Ms O’Toole’s request was aired at the Monday meeting.

In a text, Mr Stewart last night denied Ms O’Toole had asked him not to hand out how-to-vote cards at polling booths.

“I’m handing out at a number of polling booths on Saturday,” Mr Stewart said.

Earlier in the day, Mr Stewart, who holds the state seat of Townsville, said he could not talk about a caucus meeting earlier this week in which the Adani ­delays are understood to have been raised.

“What happens in caucus stays in caucus,’’ he said.