Anger at ‘ political circus’

ASK business people for their thoughts on the state election campaign and they will provide a considered, polite response but talk to them privately and they will tell you in no uncertain terms that politics is a circus.

“All we get is a self- serving agenda. They still don’t get it, that it’s not about them,” one source said.

Another Townsville business source said politicians were not focusing on the important issues.

“Politics in the last six months in this country is just out of control. We are stuffing around with inconsequential issues while Rome burns,” the source said.

The managing partner for Crowe Horwath North Queensland Troy Popham was prepared to call it as he saw it.

“I reckon politics is a circus,” he said.

Mr Popham said now more than ever the state needed strong leadership and people prepared to fight hard, even if it meant going against party policy, to achieve outcomes.

The Townsville port expansion needed to happen, the new rail corridor needed to be finalised and there needed to be more recognition that the planned Hell’s Gate dam on the Burdekin River was not just a water scheme but an economic development activator that would open 50,000ha of farming land, he said.

Townsville Enterprise economic development director Michael McMillan said business was desperate for clear policy and leadership.

But when it came to critical infrastructure like power, Mr McMillan said the major parties and to some extent the minors were still unclear about how their policies would play out.

Mr McMillan said business confidence was on the upswing in Townsville, based on project announcements, but businesses needed to see clear policy and leadership for confidence to translate into investment.

Rural group AgForce said the campaign had provided a “mixed bag” of policies for farmers with promising pledges for better transport and water infrastructure.

But AgForce North Queensland regional president Russell Lethbridge said its members were unhappy with Labor plans to reintroduce “flawed” vegetation management laws.

Mr Lethbridge said there was a sense Labor was playing to its Green vote.

“Northern Australia is on the cusp of wanting to move forward and develop,” Mr Lethbridge said.

Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland General Manager Advocacy Kate Whittle said both major parties had announced some business friendly policies.

Labor had won support for its Back To Work program, its focus on manufacturing and commitments to the South East’s M1 highway, while the LNP had committed to raising the payroll tax threshold, write down the Regulated Asset Base of energy networks and reduce red tape.