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| Primary Industries & Fisheries, Henry Palaszczuk [22 Oct 2004] |
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| Regional Qld urged to offer Senator a home base |
Primary Industries & Fisheries, Henry Palaszczuk
Regional Qld urged to offer Senator a home base
Primary Industries and Fisheries Minister Henry Palaszczuk is urging Mayors and Councils of regional Queensland to offer to host the office of National Party Senator-elect Barnaby Joyce.
Mr Palaszczuk said Mr Joyce, an accountant in the south-west Queensland centre of St George, had announced his plans to establish his Senate office on the Gold Coast.
Mr Joyce is expected to win the sixth Queensland Senate spot.
"Mr Joyce has claimed it would be too hard to work as a Senator from St George, but surely he does not have to move to the Gold Coast," he said.
"The fact is Federal MPs from Queensland have to travel to Canberra from centres across the State like Rockhampton, Toowoomba, Maryborough, Bundaberg, Mackay, Townsville and Roma all the time."
"Labor and the Liberals have a Senator based outside the south-east corner. Why doesn't the National Party?"
"With that in mind, I encourage Mayors and Councils in regional centres across Queensland to contact the National Party and offer to host Mr Joyce's office and the three staff he will be allocated upon joining the Senate."
Mr Palaszczuk told State Parliament today that Mr Joyce should reconsider his plan to establish his Senate office on the Gold Coast.
Mr Joyce has justified his plan to set up his Senate office on the Gold Coast by claiming: "The Gold Coast has supported The Nationals for many years. Gold Coast people are our sort of people."
However, the National Party's Senate vote in the Gold Coast-based Federal divisions of McPherson and Moncrieff was 1.55% and 2.11% respectively.
In the nearby electorate of Fadden - named after former Country Party leader Sir Arthur "Artie" Fadden - the result was slightly better for the Nationals with 2.5% of the vote.
In Maranoa, which includes St George, the National Party Senate vote was almost 30%.
Media contact: Kirby Anderson 3239 3004 or 0418 197 350
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