Truth burns on the coals of ambition

NORTH Queensland voters were already frustrated with the quality of our elected representatives before yesterday’s Labor circus in Brisbane.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk traded in her last meritorious quality – sincerity – when she fronted the media at 4.30pm and said she had just learnt her partner had been working on Adani’s Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility application, exposing her to a conflict of interest.

Further, to get ahead of what she claimed was a smear campaign about to be launched by the LNP federally, Ms Palaszczuk would remedy the conflict by vetoing the application.

It was a bizarre backflip of the Premier’s support for the Adani project, upon which thousands of North Queenslanders are pinning their hopes for finding a secure job.

The Premier is attempting to have an each- way bet on the controversial Adani mine, her support for which thus far has caused serious problems inside the Labor Party and around the state during this crucial first week of the election campaign.

Activists have succeeded in putting Adani on the election agenda, despite there being no issues to debate. Both major parties support it.

But the Premier’s support has lit up the Greens in the southeast and it is reasonable to assume early internal polling is showing support for the party has been decimated by this week’s stunts by Stop Adani activists.

Ms Palaszczuk will attempt to now convince North Queenslanders she was given no option but to veto the loan application, while reaping the praise of Left- wing city voters by delivering on their fervent wishes.

For the people of North Queensland, it is just the latest in a series of bungles this Government has been party to with the Adani deal.

If Adani was not an election issue before, it certainly is now, with the major parties now on opposing sides.