Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and cabinet ministers in Gladstone to host “regional Cabinet meetings”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his cabinet ministers were in Gladstone on Wednesday to host the first of a series of “regional Cabinet meetings” in the Port City. Here’s what they are up to.

Gladstone will host the Prime Minister less than a month after his election in a bid to win over Central Queenslanders after he failed to secure any seats in the resource heavy region.

Anthony Albanese and his cabinet ministers were in Gladstone on Wednesday to host the first of a series of “regional Cabinet meetings” in the Port City.

Mr Albanese said the reason for the visit was to listen and learn from community and industry leaders in Central Queensland, regardless of whether they voted for him at the last election.

In his first visit to Queensland following the national poll, Mr Albanese will look to win more support from a region and state where his primary vote went backwards, and failed to win any seats north of Esk, north west of Brisbane.

Mr Albanese is expected to address the looming energy crisis, with continued risk of price hikes and potential widespread power outages, as well as the future for resources and renewable energy in the region.

Gladstone mayor, Matt Burnett said it was “an easy choice” for the Prime Minister to choose Gladstone as the first city to host the government’s regional cabinet meeting.

Mr Burnett said his close relationship with a number of the ministers would ensure the new government delivered on the multiple commitments made for Central Queensland during the federal election campaign.

“Albo is a very good friend of mine and I know almost all of the cabinet ministers ... Why wouldn’t they come here? We create so much money for the state and national economies so it’s only right,” he said.

Mr Burnett again reaffirmed his commitment to upgrading the Gladstone Hospital to an official level 4 facility, noting that it needed to happen sooner than the planned 2030 deadline.

“I’d love for it to happen tomorrow, but it won’t but it’s clear it needs to happen sooner,” he said.

Mr Burnett said that while the federal Labor government had committed to two Medicare ‘urgent care’ clinics in Central Queensland - their locations would likely be at Gracemere and Bundaberg - he wanted to see one in Gladstone.

While in Gladstone during the campaign, Mr Albanese pledged $100 million in funding for a battery manufacturing precinct in regional Queensland and Mr Burnett said he would now fight to make sure that precinct was in Gladstone.

He said he’d use this opportunity of hosting the federal cabinet to show the ministers where they’d be spending their money following a number of commitments for Central Queensland during the campaign.

“I’m happy to have them in this beautiful city which is an industrial hub of our nation and I’m going to be showing the ministers around to the places where they’re going to be spending their money,” he said.

“Unfortunately this region has missed out on a lot of what it is owed after a decade of the Coalition in government and now it’s time for us to get our fair share.”

The PM thanked Cr Burnett for his work in the community and flagged he wanted the Gladstone mayor to run again for the seat of Flynn in 2025.

“I acknowledge the work that you do as a fantastic local mayor here, long may it continue, although I did have in mind another job and I hope that you give consideration to putting in another application down the track,” he said.

Mr Albanese visited Rio Tinto’s Yarwun Alumina Refinery in Gladstone, supporting its commitment to net zero as well as congratulating its long-term plans to invest in renewable energy projects.

“Rio Tinto has a plan to invest billions of dollars in ensuring renewables drive growth at the alumina refinery to make sure they have a plan, not for a year or five year but a 20 year plan,” Mr Albanese said.

Flynn LNP MP, Colin Boyce said he welcomed Mr Albanese to Gladstone and said it was important, especially for Labor, that the federal government acknowledged the importance of the Port City.

“It’s important that the new government has recognised that Gladstone and the electorate of Flynn are vital to the national economy and the resource sector,” he said.

“It‘ll be interesting to see how they approach their proposal to implement a safeguard mechanism in terms of implementing a carbon tax on the 19 huge businesses in Flynn, in the coal mines and the alumina refineries as well as CSG gas, etc.

“It remains to be seen how that comes out and I imagine the government will be discussing that as we speak.

“The Queensland Treasurer, Cameron Dick, has already made noises in the media about increasing royalties for example in the coal mining sector ... so it’s interesting to see how the whole net zero carbon emissions will end up.”

Originally published as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and cabinet ministers in Gladstone to host “regional Cabinet meetings”