• The Palaszczuk Labor Government has no credibility standing up for North Queensland

• Minister Coralee O’Rourke was caught out advocating for the NAIF to be based in Brisbane

• Calls by Minister O’Rourke for the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Developing Northern Australia to be based in Townsville ring hollow

Calls for the Northern Australia CRC to be based in Townsville are a desperate attempt by discredited Minister Assisting the Premier on North Queensland Coralee O’Rourke to claw back credibility in the north.

Shadow Minister for Northern Development Andrew Cripps said Minister O’Rourke had been caught out advocating for the Northern Australia Infrastructure Fund to be based in Brisbane in a deliberate slap in the face for the region.

“Minister O’Rourke has suddenly realised her job is to advocate for North Queensland and is now calling on the Federal Government to base the Northern Australia CRC in Townsville,” Mr Cripps said.

“Sadly this is too little, too late from a Palaszczuk Labor Government frozen at the wheel.

“Our region is stuck with a hapless, bewildered Minister representing it at Labor’s Cabinet table and this transparent media stunt will not make up for Coralee O’Rourke’s failure to be a strong voice for North Queensland.”

Mr Cripps said the Palaszczuk Labor Government’s snub of the region was demonstrated by the number of anti-North Queensland bills Labor has before the Queensland Parliament, including:

• The winding back of LNP initiatives to promote eco-tourism projects in and greater recreational access to National Parks.
• The removal of the LNP’s water development option from the Water Act to facilitate new irrigated agriculture projects.
• The reversal of LNP changes to the Vegetation Management Act to allow for the sustainable growth of the agriculture sector.

“While the Federal LNP Government is working hard for the development of Northern Australia, including North Queensland, the Palaszczuk Labor Government is sadly going in the opposite direction and trying its best to shut the north down,” he said.

“Coralee O’Rourke is obviously failing dismally to protect North Queensland from the anti-economic development extreme green groups at Labor’s Cabinet table in Brisbane.

“She should do the right thing by North Queenslanders and resign in favour of someone who can get the job done.”