Chalmers admits Adani a factor in federal election drubbing Tough lessons for Labor
FEDERAL Labor’s failed messaging on Adani is one lesson to take away from the “disappointing result” in Townsville at the recent election.
But Opposition Treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers absolved the Labor State Government of blame, saying the federal branch of the party takes full responsibility for the dismal showing at the polls.
Voters dragged Labor over the coals at the federal election last month, particularly in regional Queensland, where the party lost the seat of Herbert and failed to pick up Leichhardt in Cairns.
Former Herbert MP Cathy O’toole, who held the seat by just 37 votes, lost 5 per cent of her primary vote. The LNP’S Phil Thompson picked up the seat with a healthy margin of 8.38 per cent.
Mr Chalmers, Labor’s most senior figure in Queensland, is in Townsville today as part of a fourday, 2800km tour through regional Queensland which includes stops in Mackay, Bowen and Rockhampton.
“It’s recognition that we underperformed here at the election and we need to learn the lessons of what was a really difficult election for Labor,” he said.
“In this part of the world when you get a result like we got, you’d be mad not to get out and about and speak to people and figure out what went wrong.”
Mr Chalmers said “clearly” Labor didn’t get enough support in Townsville and surrounding areas for its tax policies.
“Clearly our position on the Adani mine didn’t resonate in Townsville and we need to learn from that as well,” he said.
Ms O’toole, the first female MP for the seat in its history, was forced to constantly defend her position on Adani and coal mining in the Galilee Basin throughout the campaign. She admitted during her concession speech that Adani had not been a “godsend or a help” and there were “a lot of contributing factors” to her loss.
Asked if the State Government, including Townsville’s three Labor MPS, were partly to blame for the poll drubbing, Mr Chalmers said the Palaszczuk Government had been “overwhelmingly good for regional Queensland”.
“In Federal Labor, we take all the responsibility for the federal outcome,” he said.
“We didn’t ask for another three years in opposition but we’re going to use these three years wisely.
“We’re going to take our time to come up with a new policy agenda where North Queensland is front and centre and where we can be more confident of attracting the support of more Australians.”
Mr Chalmers and his travelling partner, Senator Anthony Chisholm, addressed party faithful last night and are due to meet with businesses and civic leaders today.