Saturday 31 October is your chance to have your say in who will next govern Queensland - a returned Labor government under Annastacia Palaszczuk or an incoming LNP government under Deb Frecklington.

Of course, some of the minor parties - such as Katter’s Australia Party (KAP), One Nation and even the independents - have a stake in this as they could end up “kingmakers” in a minority government if neither Labor or LNP can command a majority.

The minors might also have some sway when it comes to voting on issues that members of the major parties cross the floor on, meaning the minor parties will make promises leading into the election that they will try to make happen if they are in a bargaining position under a Labor or LNP government.

What’s in it for Me?

When it comes to elections, many voters simply want to know “what’s in it for me?” before casting their vote.

While we can’t be that specific, we’ve taken a look at some of the major promises that have been made available to us at the time of writing and asked, “What’s in it for Far North Queensland?”

We’ve also analysed which of the major parties on balance looks like offering more to FNQ (and where applicable, the Shire), and summarised the pledges or promises the minor parties have made in their bids to be elected the Member for Cook.

Find out more about each candidate here.

 
The Economy, Infrastructure & Employment (inc. Tourism Investment/Security)

Labor

• An economic recovery plan to support 55,000 jobs (Qld wide)
• Creation of the Far North Queensland Regional Recovery Plan, which is a combination of relief funds for businesses and infrastructure projects (including the Newell boat ramp)
• $600m for council projects across the state
• $1.5 million toward a splash park in Douglas Shire
• $150,00 to install field lighting at Port Douglas sport complex
• Cairns Marine Precinct ($30m)
• Cairns West Arterial and Smithfield Bypass
• Tourism: $40m towards Great Barrier reef initiatives (conservation and ecotourism)
• Second Bruce Highway (inland)

LNP

• $30,000 seed funding committed for Port Douglas Accommodation Co-Operative group
• $20,000 seed funding committed for the Mossman Botanic Garden
• A 5% unemployment rate before the end of the first term in government (no specific plans laid out how this will be achieved except through LNP’s “economic plan”)
• New Bradfield Scheme
• Four-lane Bruce Highway upgrades
• $6 million in funding for the Great Barrier Reef for infrastructure upgrades and a pest eradication program
• Scrapping the “Grey Nomad Tax” - tax on campervans

 
For the Shire

On balance, Labor. Despite Nipper Brown’s Shire-specific commitments to seed funding for local projects being good news, several factors put Labour ahead. Cynthia Lui’s commitment of $1.5m for a splash park if Council decides to proceed with this after community consultation is a double whammy win for locals and tourism, and the $600m council projects fund gives Council a funding avenue to turn to for other local projects, which will create local jobs and improve other facilities for locals and tourists. Money going into the Reef also offers benefits for the Shire’s tourism sector. 

Health, Youth & Aged Care Services

Labor

• Staffing: 5800 new nurses, 475 new paramedics, 1500 doctors, 1700 allied health professionals (9475 in total, all out of existing health budget)
• Legalisation of euthanasia
• $16.5m towards Cairns Uni Hospital land acquisition and business case (total commitment thus far $68m)
• Expansion of Cairns Hospital emergency dept
• $4.4 million for hospital redevelopment studies, health centre upgrades and a new morgue in Cape York

LNP

• Staffing: a total of 4500 new nurses, paramedics, doctors and allied health professionals
• Fast-tracking surgeries
• Increase places in before and after-school care
• $180m to build Cairns University Hospital
• Expansion of Cairns Hospital emergency dept
• Put maternity services back into some regional hospitals including Mossman.

For the Shire

On balance, line-ball. Labor is doubling the number of staff compared to LNP (although Labor will have to make savings across other parts of the health budget to do this) but the LNP’s all-out offer to build the Cairns University Hospital will directly benefit the region,

 
Education

Labor

• Air-condition every state school library, classroom and staffroom by mid-2022
• 6,100 new teachers and 1,100 aides (total boost after replacement of current roles is 2190)
• Expansion of free TAFE and apprenticeships program (agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare and early childhood education all targeted areas)
• $5.6m to Cairns TAFE for advanced manufacturing hub and cybersecurity training centre
• New buildings and facility upgrades for Trinity Beach State School and Redlynch State College

LNP

• Subsidise childcare training to address worker shortages
• 3350 new teachers and 760 aides above and beyond replacement
• Air-condition every state school library, classroom and staffroom by mid-2022

For the Shire

On balance, Labor. LNP is promising more teachers than Labor, which will directly benefit local schools potentially, but Labor’s expansion of free TAFE and the money it is pouring into various schools puts it just ahead of Labor in a portfolio Labor is traditionally more generous than the LNP.

 
Environmental Sustainability & Water

Labor

• $40m for Great Barrier Reef projects including $10m for Reef Credits initiative
• $60m for the Queensland Protected Area Strategy (delivers 100 new Indigenous Land and Sea Rangers, more national parks, more support for nature refuges)

LNP

• The new Bradfield Scheme improving water security and providing green energy
• $60m stimulation package for the recycling sector
• Fishing license buyback scheme
• $6 million in funding for the Great Barrier Reef for infrastructure upgrades and a pest eradication program

For the Shire

On balance, Labor. The Reef projects money would directly benefit local tourism, as could the funds for the Protected Area Strategy. The LNP’s promises are also positive but not in a way that would necessarily directly affect the Shire.

 

Community Development and Law & Order

Labor

• 2025 new police personnel across the state by 2025 (150 in Cairns)
• 357 additional firefighters across the state

LNP

• Cairns curfew trial for unaccompanied children under 17
• 60 new police for FNQ
• Tradie Boost Scheme - grants to pay tradies to prepare for cyclone season
• Rego rebate - $300 rebate on every registered vehicle

For the Shire

On balance, the LNP. While Labor’s police and firefighter personnel promises might add a small boost for the local force, the LNP’s Tradies Boost Scheme and rego rebate will both directly benefit locals.

Indigenous Recognition

Labor

• Remains committed to “reframe its relationship with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders” but has admitted the timeframe to achieve this is difficult to pin down and could take years.

LNP

• No specific policy or statements.

 
For the Shire

Labor well ahead given it has a policy and LNP has nothing as yet. Also putting LNP on the back foot is the criticism over its youth curfew plan for the north as being likely to impact negatively on local indigenous children and possibly being in breach of international law. 

In terms of the minor parties, here are some of the policies the Cook candidates or their parties will fight for if they secure the balance of power, that might interest Shire locals:

KAP

• To improve under-resourced health services across the Cape, including the return of maternity services to the Mossman Hospital.
• Have committed to lobby for $300K to help the Douglas Shire Accommodation Co-Operative accommodation booking portal
• Run referendum on establishing North Queensland as a separate state.
• Reducing regulations and lowering the cost of production for farmers: Cut water pricing, enforce the ethanol mandate, reverse the reef regulations, reverse the vegetation management laws.

One Nation

• A 24/7 staffed Mossman Police Station
• Set up outback youth camps for juvenile offenders.
• Improving mobile phone coverage by co-contributing to the national blackspot program
• Expanding drug and rehabilitation facilities using the proceeds of crime.
• The Cook candidate also said she would take the Council’s wishlist to parliament which includes a second water intake, a splash park, and improvements to Mossman’s Foxton Bridge.

Greens

• Commitment to the reinstatement of the maternity and birthing centre in Mossman
• Provide free breakfast and lunch at state schools.
• Plan to establish 200 Community Health Clinics across the state, with bulk billing GPs and specialists
• Fully fund public schools

NQ First

• Commitment to the resurrection of maternity services at several regional hospitals including the Mossman Hospital.
• $6b Real Royalties for Regions policy - paid for by mining royalties
• Repeal Labor’s vegetation management laws to support agricultural sector
• Shoot to kill Croc culling policy
• Advocate for a separate state of North Queensland

Independent Yodie Batzke

• Lobby to increase the current critical level of care for Mareeba and Mossman Hospital and for the return of birthing units to Mossman.
• Lobby for funding and assist Mossman Botanic Garden in development
• Replacing of ageing water and sewage infrastructure and ongoing fiscal provision of Works for Queensland.
• To work with Local Government Association on their key priorities

UAP

• Lobby for appropriate education for all no matter location
• To open a maternity ward at the Mossman hospital and extend and refurbish the hospital into a modern healthcare facility.
• Zonal Taxation incentives for rural areas
• Looby for tourism subsidies to support industry