Final pitch to voters
CANDIDATES for the seat of Traeger have made a lastditch effort to garner votes at a Chamber of Commerce and Mines forum, where each vowed to traverse the length and breadth of the second largest electorate in the state should they be elected.
Incumbent Traeger MP Robbie Katter (KAP) along with James Bambrick (ALP), Marnie Smith (LNP) and Craig Scriven (IND) met with Charters Towers residents at the RSL Club on Monday night to give their pitches.
Mr Bambrick, an underground loader operator who hails from Mount Isa, said he was passionate about developing the north and driving jobs growth.
He said he wanted to be a part of the Palaszczuk Labor government, which he said would lead the state’s recovery from the pandemic by investing in the infrastructure to future proof the state.
He said he had driven 8000km in the past month visiting every part of the electorate, meeting with people and trying to find out what they felt were the important issues and would continue to do that if elected.
The LNP’S Ms Smith said she had spent much of her life in the Georgetown area and working in what is now the Traeger electorate.
She said the LNP stood for water infrastructure, better roads and more development.
“The power process, coming through with Copperstring, would make a huge difference for the area,”
Ms Smith said. “It doesn’t matter where you go, there’s always road problems there.
“I look forward to working with local governments to do the best we can.”
Mine worker Craig Scriven is running for the Traeger seat for the second time as an independent candidate.
He said mental health was something he was passionate about, as could be seen on his social media page #Callyamate.
“Traeger is involved in horticulture, mining and beef,” he said.
“If we don’t have pollies in power with the ability to know what’s going on in the electorate then we’re totally at a loss.”
KAP leader and incumbent Mr Katter said he was passionate about the electorate, but didn’t feel he had “a mortgage on that”.
He asked those at the forum to vote for him based on what he has achieved.
“I haven’t had Charters Towers until this last term, but I’ve had some achievements,” he said.
Mr Katter said he felt he was getting somewhere with the government, citing the promise of $30 million in funding for Big Rocks Weir and of dialysis services for Charters Towers as two of the more recent successes.
He said he would love to continue to stand up and fight hard for the place where he grew up.