Is ALP bid too little, too late?

AFTER a slow start to the election campaign, Labor is ramping up its bid to win over North Queensland voters with a series of significant pledges yesterday.

It comes after results of a Galaxy poll revealed in Saturday’s that Labor’s Coralee O’Rourke is in serious danger of losing her seat to the LNP’s Matt Derlagen.

The LNP was quick out of the blocks in its attempt to win back the three Townsville- based seats it lost to Labor in the 2015 state election.

Within days of the election being called, the LNP made several major announcements with a heavy focus on two hot- button issues in Townsville – law and order and water security.

Labor, meanwhile, had offered little for the North in the first two weeks of the campaign, until yesterday’s onslaught.

Those announcements included funding for projects seen as vital for securing and creating jobs in the North – the Mount Isa to Townsville rail line, a proposed lithium- ion battery factory and planned underwater museum.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk also reaffirmed her party’s commitment to renewables during a visit to the Clare Solar Farm project, announcing $ 151.6 million in funding, including $ 97 million for solar power at schools.

The decision to veto any Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility loan for the Adani rail line has plagued Ms Palaszczuk’s campaign in the past week.

She has constantly had to deal with questions about the reasons for the decision and its timing.

Yesterday’s announcements are a bid to deflect attention away from the Adani decision with some significant sweeteners for the North.

After a difficult week, Labor wants to begin the second half of its campaign to stay in government with a positive message for voters in its three Townsville seats which it looks like having a tough time retaining. However, the damage done in the North from the Adani loan decision may prove to be irreparable.