Premier’s on her way

New date for Cabinet visit before election

PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk has set a new date to bring her full Cabinet to Cairns after COVID-19 scares forced her previous two attempts off the calendar.

More than 100 political staffers, departmental directors and frontbench Labor ministers will fly into Cairns over the weekend ahead of three days of meetings starting on Monday.

The entourage had been due to meet on Monday this week but the visit was cancelled at the 11th hour when details emerged of the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre outbreak.

The switch was so last-minute that Communities Minister Coralee O’Rourke was already in Cairns when the message went out, having flown in from Townsville on Saturday.

A previous Cabinet visit was put on ice in April after COVID-19 restrictions were imposed across the nation.

Barron River MP Craig Crawford said it was difficult to be certain about anything during the pandemic but Ms Palaszczuk

was committed to getting to Cairns as a matter of urgency.

“The Premier is intent on doing it – she wants to fulfil her commitment,” he said.

“We’re in really unusual times and there’s a hair trigger for any sort of change.

“It will all depend on the cases over the next few days.

“Providing we don’t get any significant outbreaks or anything like that, it should be looking good.”

Mayors from across Cape York are expected to fly down to Cairns for a forum, adding to the State Government entourage spending at least two nights and plenty of money in the community.

A full Cabinet meeting will be held on Monday morning, with ministers then going out on fact-finding missions with business leaders and meetings organised by Advance Cairns.

Advance Cairns CEO Nick Trompf said the community expected real commitments to come from the visit.

“We’ve been to the dance, now it’s time to deliver,” he said. “There’s an election nine weeks away and the region is on its knees economically.

“We have a clear plan that’s been articulated to multiple stakeholders.

“Clearly they’re not going to declare their whole election strategy now … but with Cabinet coming down, they won’t be coming empty-handed,” he said.

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