Is Michael Healy the man to restore faith in Labor across regional Queensland?

A soul-searching review into Labor’s state election loss must deliver a stronger focus on issues affecting regional Queenslanders, with this MP poised to play a key role in the party’s revival, a political analyst says.

Member for Cairns Michael Healy at his election party at the West Cairns Bowls Club in Cairns, Queensland last October. Picture: Brian Cassey

A soul-searching review into Labor’s state election loss must deliver a stronger focus on issues affecting regional Queenslanders, with a Far North MP poised to play a key role in the party’s revival, a political analyst says.

The ALP all but surrendered eight seats north of Gladstone last October with Member for Cairns Michael Healy the only Labor incumbent to survive a disastrous election for the party.

The review, helmed by Senator Karen Grogan and NSW Labor’s state secretary Dominic Ofner, is set to be completed next month with MPs offered the opportunity to contribute to the party’s internal evaluation.

Member for Gladstone, Glenn Butcher, was one a handful of regional Queensland Labor MPs to hold onto their seats at the last election. Picture: David Clark

But with just three members of the party’s shadow cabinet hailing from outside the southeast corner, Labor needed to pay more attention to the regions, QUT’s Dr Mary Crawford said.

“Queensland has as many people living outside Brisbane as it does living in it,” Dr Crawford said.

“You can’t win an election without claiming some regional seats.

“That means Labor will have to look at ways they can better address regional Queensland (issues).

“Traditionally, that’s always been through the lens of health and education. But crime seems to have helped the LNP take some ground across the state.”

QUT’s Dr Mary Crawford (left) says the ALP’s review must focus on why traditionally safe Labor seats in regional Queensland were lost at this election.

Campaigning on jobs growth and identifying new and emerging industries in a changing global economy would be critical, Dr Crawford said.

“For places like Cairns, Townsville and the Whitsundays, some serious work needs to be done on tourism and new green jobs,” she said.

“The difficulty with places that are dependent on tourism is that if there’s a shift globally, then a lot of people end up out of a job.

“What you need are secondary industries that can keep the place afloat.

“That’s what makes the Daintree, areas that rely on tourism through the Great Barrier Reef and places like Kuranda incredibly important because there are so many livelihoods dependent on the sector.

“If people don’t have jobs in tourism, then discretionary spending suffers, people stop going to the shops and there’s no drinking beers at knockoff.

“There’s nothing.”

Member for Cairns Michael Healy celebrates last year’s state election win at the West Cairns Bowls Club. Picture: Brian Cassey

Mr Healy, a member of the party’s right faction and former Tourism Minister, could serve as a powerful figure in helping the ALP regain seats lost in 2024.

“As the only Labor representative up there … he stands out,” she said.

“He was obviously someone voters thought highly enough of to keep around. He has a reputation for being a hard worker and very personable.

“Regional Queensland would be better served with more high profile regional leaders although there’s always the difficulty of travel with such a job, given the size of the state.”

The LNP currently holds 52 seats to Labor’s 36 in the Queensland parliament with Katter’s Australia Party (KAP) holding onto three, the Greens with one and Noosa’s Sandy Boulton the lone independent.

MASS EXODUS

Labor MPs north of Gladstone to lose their seat or retire at the last state election.

● Cynthia Lui (Cook)

● Craig Crawford (Barron River)

● Curtis Pitt (Mulgrave)

● Scott Stewart (Townsville)

● Aaron Harper (Thuringowa)

● Les Walker (Mundingburra)

● Julieanne Gilbert (Mackay)

● Brittany Lauga (Keppel)

Originally published as Is Michael Healy the man to restore faith in Labor across regional Queensland?