SCOMO PLAYS BLAME GAME
Prime Minister takes a swing at Queensland for funding delays
PASSING the buck is being honed to a fine art while state and federal governments ignore critical infrastructure shortfalls in the Far North.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison squandered an opportunity to mend fences with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in Cairns yesterday.
“I’ll be demanding that the Queensland Government turn up and stop playing politics,” he told a meeting in Cairns.
THE Prime Minister’s visit to Cairns was not in vain despite his only funding announcement being a rehashed pledge from two years ago.
Scott Morrison is still in receival mode, travelling through the electorates before donning his Santa Claus hat and stepping into pre-election delivery mode in the coming months.
Advance Cairns CEO Nick Trompf said the Far North was perfectly positioned to hammer home its infrastructure and policy priorities at a crucial time in the political cycle.
“They are going to come out with a series of announcements that suit their timing in the lead-up to the election, as opposed to when we might want to see them,” he said.
“We’ve got in early and will again with our Convoy to Canberra in six weeks’ time.
“That will make sure the Far North’s wish list is very much in their in-tray.”
Mr Morrison made a quick appearance at Smithfield to reannounce a $10 million commitment to build the Innovation Complex at James Cook University.
The 10,000sq m hub will be packed with engineering students, researchers and start-up businesses delivering cuttingedge technology across manufacturing, agriculture and health. JCU vice-chancellor Sandra Harding said the facility would open next year.
While the city’s other tertiary education provider CQUniversity sharpens its focus on the arts, Prof Harding said JCU was zeroing in on more technical streams.
“We’re very strongly a STEM type of university and health and medicine,” she said.
Mr Morrison famously squashed Chinese telco Huawei’s bid to build Australia’s 5G mobile network last month.
He was less concerned to learn the tech giant was one of JCU’s partners in its “internet of things” courses that will operate from the new federally funded Innovation Complex.
“The Government also makes decisions in relation to these matters in accordance to our strategic and national interest and we don’t resolve from that,” he said.
“That in no way precludes or in any way disrupts the sort of partnerships that are being formed here.”
Disappointment over the lack of a decent funding announcement could not be avoided and Cairns Shipping Development Inc spokeswoman Emma Thirkell vented her frustrations to the Cairns Post.
She was dismayed to learn Mr Morrison made a $75 million commitment to expand the Townsville Port later in the day while Cairns languished.
“Cairns got nothing but a nudge to loan from the NAIF and the draconian Reef 2050 plan that caps the port’s future,” she said.
“Our city and port appears to be no better or worse under the LNP or the ALP.”
Mr Trompf called on Far Northerners to maintain the pressure.
“The Federal Government has a lot of influence, cash and energy to deliver with or without state or local government support,” he said.
“Those outcomes will be much better with state co-operation.
“But in the absence of that, it doesn’t mean the Federal Government is disabled in terms of delivering its commitments to the region.”