• Labor fails to submit a single business case to NAIF but complains about lack of federal funding

• Coralee O’Rourke fails to stand up for North Queensland’s fair share

• Asleep at the wheel government’s dithering cost’s North Queensland dearly

The Palaszczuk Government has failed to submit a single business case for North Queensland projects to the Federal Coalition Government’s Northern Australia Infrastructure Fund (NAIF), despite Annastacia Palaszczuk’s complaints yesterday that no funds had been allocated.

Shadow Northern Development Minister Andrew Cripps said Annastacia Palaszczuk and North Queensland Minister Coralee O’Rourke had previously admitted Labor had done nothing to secure essential NAIF funding to create jobs, encourage investment and grow the North’s economy.

“For Annastacia Palaszczuk to complain yesterday that the NAIF had not yet allocated any funding, when her own Minister and her own government had not yet submitted any projects for consideration, is absolute hypocrisy,” Mr Cripps said.

“Labor’s complete inaction in standing up for North Queensland’s fair share does nothing but risk jobs, investment and economic growth.”

Mr Cripps said the Palaszczuk Government had discussed a preliminary list of potential projects in North Queensland with the Federal Coalition Government in February 2016, but had not progressed any of them.

“Coralee O’Rourke has proven herself incapable of handling this important portfolio responsibility and while she dithers, her indecision is costing the people, communities and industries of North Queensland valuable opportunities for progress,” he said.

Mr Cripps said Labor, supported by the Greens, was pursuing a range of anti-economic development policies that would prevent new projects in North Queensland that might otherwise secure support from the NAIF.