• Labor short-changes Queensland’s regions on infrastructure
• North Queensland Minister misleads on regional infrastructure investment
• Labor’s Building our Regions replacement a $300 million cut to regional infrastructure

The LNP has slammed the Minister Assisting the Premier on North Queensland, Coralee O’Rourke, for misleading Queenslanders on the Palaszczuk Labor Government’s investment in regional Queensland.

Shadow State Development and Northern Development Minister, Andrew Cripps, said the Minister O’Rourke had spruiked Labor’s regional investment record, when it had actually cut funding for critical infrastructure programs by almost half since coming to office.

“This Minister has tried to justify Labor’s decision to scrap the LNP’s $495 million Royalties for Regions initiative and replace it with a smaller, shorter and narrower $200 million program,” Mr Cripps said.

“Do the maths – that’s almost a $300 million cut for projects in regional communities.”

Mr Cripps said the LNP’s Royalties for Regions initiative invested in 147 projects – too many to name individually* – with a combined value, through partnerships and co-investment, of $790 million.

“Labor has ignored Queensland’s regions, which is why the LNP has pledged to reinstate Royalties for the Regions at its previous level of investment, should we be re-elected to government,” he said.

“In response, the Minister O’Rourke tried to defend Labor’s indefensible record of short-changing our regions by nearly $300 million.

“Only the LNP has a real plan to boost the economy, deliver jobs and restore confidence to rural and regional Queensland.”

Mr Cripps repeated his call for Minister O’Rourke to be replaced with someone who could give North Queensland the representation it deserved at the Cabinet table.

“North Queensland can ill afford this kind of hapless, bewildered Minister being left to fight for our fair share – she’s not up to the job” he said.

“Coralee O’Rourke’s advocacy on behalf of North Queensland and our regions is an embarrassment and I say again – she must go.”

Key facts:

• LNP’s Royalties for Regions invested $495 million into critical regional infrastructure
• Labor’s counterpart Building Our Regions program has invested just $200 million