O’toole right to be angry
NO wonder Herbert MP Cathy O’toole is livid with the three state Labor MPS who are still burying their head over the issue of mining in the Galilee Basin.
The feisty politician is trying to hold on to Australia’s most marginal seat and to do so is securing funding pledge after funding pledge.
Last week, Ms O’toole secured funding for a motor precinct and driver education facility Driveit NQ if Labor is elected at the federal election. That project just requires some state funding to get off the ground but our local members have offered up nothing but lip service (if even that) on the issue.
Today, she’ll announce $30 million for a revamp of Reef HQ — a project to provide Townsville, which is the centre of excellence for research on the Great Barrier Reef, a facility worthy of that status.
Add that to announcements on veterans’ affairs, a new call centre for Townsville and previous commitments to water security and the Port channel widening, Ms O’toole is ticking things off the wish list.
On top of that, within minutes, she signed the Townsville Enterprise pledge saying she supported mining in the Galilee Basin. She did that without asking for permission from her party HQ and she had no problem for criticising her party colleagues for failing to do likewise.
It was as unique as it was powerful to have this paper join forces with our sister papers in Rockhampton and Mackay, as well as the Courier Mail in Brisbane, to run strong campaigns to give a voice to voters in our regions when it comes to mining.
Yet, Member for Townsville Scott Stewart and Member for Mundingburra Coralee O’rourke responded with one sentence each.
In MP Aaron Harper’s 1117-word diatribe, which took aim at Townsville Enterprise and the Bulletin, he described himself as the “fighter for Thuringowa” while going on to defend his masters in Brisbane. What a joke.
Right now there is a convoy of activists, gaining national media attention every day, travelling north attacking and spreading lies about the mining industry — the lifeblood of our region. To ignore is to condone. These three state Labor MPS don’t have the courage to stand up for the mining industry or its workers.
Judging by the Texts to the Editor today, Ms O’toole is being punished by her party’s mixed messages on mining and if she loses this electorate, the blame should fall squarely at the feet of those three state members and those yanking their chains in Brisbane. What Ms O’toole needs is some decisive words by Opposition Leader Bill Shorten.
Responsibility for election material appearing in this newspaper is taken by Jenna Cairney, Level 2, 538 Flinders Street, Townsville.