Renegade pollie to tour north for statehood push

THE leader of a new political party committed to statehood for Northern Queensland will soon tour the north and rally candidates to the cause ahead of the 2020 state election.

Controversial Whitsunday MP Jason Costigan yesterday launched his North Queensland First party, which promises a “fair go” for voters “from Calliope to the Cape”.

Mr Costigan said he had the Far Northern state seats of Hill, Mulgrave, Cairns, Barron River and Cook in his crosshairs, though new party candidates are yet to be named.

“I have every intention of coming after all those seats north of the Cardwell range and look forward to coming to various communities across the Far North,” he said.

Mr Costigan said policy would be released “as we go forward”, and he was convinced “the further north you go, the more alienated the voter seems to be”.

“(The Cape) wants to see the road finally sealed, upgrades to the Kennedy Hwy, the Captain Cook Hwy. The tourism industry is in a fragile place … So much so I read in the Cairns Post with interest about a breakaway organisation forming in that industry, which presses buttons with me given the community I represent,” he said.

“They are looking for leadership. I am not saying I am the chosen one, but I may as well put my hand up and have a red hot go.”

Following his expulsion from the LNP amid sexual harassment allegations, Mr Costigan said he was about to “pull the trigger” on a defamation case against his former party.

“It comes back to a vexatious complaint from a woman I have never met who’s politically at the other end of the universe to me,” he said.