POWER SHIFT TO THE NORTH

QUEENSLAND PARLIAMENT TO BE HELD IN TOWNSVILLE

TOWNSVILLE is set to be the epicentre of political power for a week, with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk promising to move parliament to the capital of North Queensland later this year.

It comes as the State Government intensifies its efforts to win back regional Queensland after a disastrous election for their federal counterparts. Ms Palaszczuk, who was in Townsville yesterday, revealed parliament would sit in the city for a week as early as September.

“When the current parliament opened, I committed that we would bring this most fundamental part of our democracy to regional Queensland,” she said.

“My Cabinet already travels, spends weeks at a time governing from regional areas of Queensland, but having parliament here gives the three Townsville MPS the chance to showcase the city and region to MPS from across the state.

“It’s also a chance for Townsville locals and schoolchildren to come along and watch how parliament works.”

The Premier said her ministers would meet in Townsville on the Monday and a community event would be held on the Friday.

Official dates and venues are due to be finalised in coming weeks.

It would be the second time parliament had convened in Townsville, since the inaugural “Governing in the Regions” event was held in 2002 during former premier Peter Beattie’s term.

State Parliament was due to sit on the Sunshine Coast in February, but the week was postponed due to the floods in Townsville and North Queensland.

The most recent regional parliament gathering was held in Mackay last year.

The event cost taxpayers

IT’S ALSO A CHANCE FOR TOWNSVILLE LOCALS AND SCHOOLCHILDREN TO COME ALONG AND WATCH HOW PARLIAMENT WORKS

ANNASTACIA PALASZCZUK

$650,000 to transform the convention centre.

It comes as the State Government continues to be dogged by Adani even after signing off on final approvals last week, with Environment Minister Leeanne Enoch under the spotlight after video footage emerged of her saying she was “devastated” about the mine getting the go-ahead.

Ms Enoch said she was upset by the way the issue had divided traditional owners and that she and her family had received threats about the mine decision.

Ms Palaszczuk said no other members of her government had come forward about being threatened on Adani and they should raise it with police if that were the case.