By Roy Weavers, Editor
Whether we like it or not the election is with us and on August 21st we all have to make a choice on who we should vote for. Most of the election fever that we witness in the media, especially the national media appears to have very little to do with us and our normal day to day lives.

However with the arrival of both Prime Minister Gillard and her opponent, Tony Abbott, the Leader of the Opposition in Cairns this week, election matters got forced in front of us and we started to be irresistibly drawn to their promises like the unfortunate seafarers in the Greek sagas when they heard the Siren temptresses calling them to destruction.

Million dollar pledges for funding and grand construction plans fell from their mouths like confetti at a wedding.  On Tuesday Mr Abbott promised $92 million for tourism campaigns. His LNP Candidate for Leichardt, Warren Entsch then reconfirmed seven new projects for Cairns.  As reported in Newsport on Monday this week, Mr Entsch said “What I am proposing is a real plan to create real jobs and opportunities for Cairns”.

In the meantime Prime Minister Julia Gillard was telling us that a re-elected Labor Government would open a support centre for struggling small businesses and provide $9.4 million towards a Daintree Rainforest Observatory at Cape Tribulation. Jim Turnour pledged to keep pushing the airlines to get more direct flights to Cairns and to fight the previous governments format for airport charges which would shortly mean 55% increases at a time when higher costs will mean fewer flights which would mean fewer tourists arriving.

So on Tuesday evening, you couldn't be blamed for thinking that all the powers to be had got a firm grip of the situation and all would be well for the far north, whoever wins this election.

Well, I believe it was Harold Wilson, a long forgotten ex British Prime Minister who coined the phrase "A week is a long time in politics".  Boy, have I got news for him! Actually overnight is a long time in politics.

By Wednesday morning media releases were flying thick and fast from both candidates offices about the apparent lack of support that the visiting big guns had shown for their respective candidates and how everyones plans lay in tatters.

Throughout the press it was reported that Tony Abbott on Tuesday morning in Cairns, despite announcing his millions of dollars for tourism, didn’t quite seem to be on the same wavelength with Mr Entsch's extensive plans for the region as perhaps you would have expected in such a marginal seat, when he said he wouldn't “...make unrealistic promises to the Australian people”. Call me a sceptic, but aren't they the kind of promises politicians make before an election!

Anyway Current MP for Leichardt, Mr Jim Turnour gleefully said, “This would have to go down as one of the greatest snubs you will ever see, this morning proves Warren Entsch would have no influence in a Coalition Government and that the Coalition couldn’t care less about Cairns". Poor old Warren had to stand next to Mr Abbott and smile as each of his plans were publicly disowned - I mean talk about being put back in your box,” Jim Turnour said.

Undeterred Mr Entsch continued to champion his Cultural Precinct and infrastructure plans for Cairns or the Val-cano proposal as he calls it. “A huge component of the volcano proposal is the cost of leasing the land from the Port Authority, but my Cultural Precinct and Tropical Sports Centre works with land already owned by the council and community groups,” he said.

Mr Entsch said, "the additional funding for these projects could be rolled out over a number of budgets, with the smaller projects allowing local construction firms a better chance of winning tenders".

However during Tony Abbott's visit to Cairns, Mr Abbott wouldn't confirm when asked directly whether a coalition government would fund any of these projects.

Tony Abbott replied: “I will listen to Warren’s pleas but, you know, the best thing that I could do for the people of Cairns is to run a competent government ... but what I don’t want to do is make unrealistic promises to the Australian people.”

Jim Turnour was more forthcoming on the matter, he said "Mr Abbott today (Tuesday) was as clear as he could be – the Entsch Plan has been thrown out the window,”.

So by Wednesday evening, you couldn't be blamed for thinking that the prospective candidates had some grand plans but their leaders were still to give them the OK. Whatever the outcome, words like 'unrealistic' do tend to stick in ones throat !

On Thursday morning we asked Mr Entsch about his plans and his party leaders less than supportive response, he said “Being fiscally responsible is the Coalition’s main priority to halt Labor’s reckless spending, wind back debt and stop the taxes.  I totally support Tony Abbott’s stance on this as it is the most prudent thing to do when Labor is currently borrowing over a $100 million a day.  It’s just not a sustainable future for our country spending at that rate".

"I can confirm however, that in recent days I have had lengthy and detailed discussions with both Mr Abbott and Mr Hockey about my ideas and my vision for this wonderful region.  They both agree with the need to create a new industry for Cairns to diversify its economy but know that this won’t be something that can occur overnight.  They both like the diverse reach of my sporting and cultural precinct and believe it is a good plan for the city.  They have been very warm and receptive to my ideas and I all I can say is watch this space announcements are being made today ... The people of Leichhardt have my word that I am committed to fighting for what I believe is the best outcome for our community and delivering on my promises unlike the incumbent."

He concluded, "My sporting and cultural precinct will give the region much more for the $250,000 million than the current Val-cano precinct concept will give.  The current concept merely provides one piece of infrastructure to service a very small part of the economy.  My vision for this region is to provide the biggest bang for buck and create a new industry, promote local employment in all elements of the project, and build on existing projects and land we already have available.  The diverse plan I have put forward not only ticks all the boxes for what this region needs, it will allow for ‘shovel ready’ projects that can commence immediately to stimulate this economy.  I am about real action, not false promises.”

On Thursday evening both candidates came to the Wildlife Habitat in Port Douglas at the invitation of the Port Douglas Chamber of Commerce, to apparently lay out their plans for the business community to digest.

It may just be me, but I don't think things really went quite as planned. The audience sat a little stunned whilst both candidates extolled the virtues of their master plans for the City of Cairns!

Neither candidate seemed to comprehend the delicacy of the aftermath of the forced amalgamation just 2 years ago and that the view of Port Douglians and their surrounding areas is still that it would be 'Cairns who benefits much more from a strong Port Douglas than Port Douglas could ever benefit from a strong Cairns'.

The question that these candidates should be having a good hard look at is, "Can Cairns really deliver a tropical lifestyle holiday destination in comparison to the experience and facilities that Port Douglas can bring to the party?"

There is an innate fear that the tourism bodies responsible for Cairns now consider Port Douglas to be a day trip from Cairns as opposed to a genuine holiday destination.   Goodness knows from where this view arrived, maybe the relevant tourism bodies have helped encourage this erroneous view with such strategies as renaming Reef promotions under the banner CairnsGreatBarrierReef with no effective opposition from their counterparts in Port Douglas. Whatever the reasons, this matter has to be addressed and addressed quickly before we lose any chance of repeat visitation, which Port Douglas has always enjoyed.

Jim Turnour brought some support in the shape of The Honourable Dr Craig Emerson, the Minister responsible for small business.  Jim spoke at the meeting first and gave a broad based presentation regarding economic stimulus, GFC, national broadband commitments, diversity of local economy and future Cairns Airport plans. He didn't, however, make his audience feel overly comfortable when asking them whether anyone had seen an article in the Cairns Post and seemed quite surprised when the audience clearly showed their disdain for the aforesaid publication, having little relevance for them in Port Douglas. Come on Jim, Port Douglas enjoys two local papers, a radio station and it's very own online daily news service so the Cairns Post doesn't feature high on the priority list as a news source for Port Douglas.

Dr Emerson then spoke on his specialist subject of small business strategy but unfortunately got caught up is the fine detail with some of the audience and although persistent, struggled to get the bigger picture across on what the benefits to our region would be.

Warren Entsch didn't fair much better when he lectured the audience on the common sense of getting a plan together for the Dickson inlet and Marina waterfront.   Obviously no one had told Mr Entsch that Port Douglas has been working determinedly with both this current council and the one before amalgamation and has now got an excellent community approved waterfront plan for which architectural plans are about to be drawn up for setting start dates.   Warren Entsch has a reputation for getting things done, so maybe it was remiss of the concerned parties to not keep him in the loop but hey, he definitely knows about it now.

Stadiums and cultural centres in Cairns are all well and good and yes, Port Douglas would probably enjoy a few crumbs tossed to them by the Cairns City operators but I don't think these big city plans are as big a vote winner as either candidate obviously thinks they are.

Now if you want to talk about funding for infrastructure in Port Douglas or maybe just a few quid to smarten us up, that will get you elected!

We'll talk again next week but in the meantime I should point out that my comments are designed to stimulate discussion so if you have any comments or views that we can print, just load 'em up below.