Make-up of Cabinet slammed

JUST two members of Annastacia Palaszczuk’s Cabinet are based outside the southeast corner – and none from between Caboolture and Townsville.

An influential union backer has slammed the new Cabinet stating it will not help Labor “rebuild its relationship with regional Queensland”, while a regional crossbench MP said the government had “no mandate” outside the southeast.

Ms Palaszczuk announced an 18-person Cabinet on Monday, but only two of them, Barron River MP Craig Crawford and Mundingburra MP Coralee O’Rourke, are from outside the southeast.

When Ms Palaszczuk announced her first Cabinet in February 2015 it included three regional MPs – Ms O’Rourke, Mulgrave MP Curtis Pitt and Rockhampton MP Bill Byrne.

Mr Pitt will now be Speaker and Mr Byrne resigned before the last election.

CFMEU branch secretary Michael Ravbar said the Cabinet was not up to the job to “rebuild” Labor’s reputation in regional communities.

Ms Palaszczuk defended her Cabinet decisions as the best people for the job.

“My government represents Queensland from the Torres Strait to the Gold Coast and all major regional centres in between – including Townsville, Mackay, Gladstone Maryborough,” she said.

Katter’s Australian Party leader Robbie Katter said major parties no longer spoke Cairns, Rockhampton, and for regional voters.

“The government has no mandate in regional Queensland,” he said.

“Around 70 per cent of voters in rural and regional areas did not vote for them.”