Libs say they will get FNQ back on track
Federal Election
A flying visit by Coalition Leader Peter Dutton and his team in the fight for the key seat of Leichhardt has put a range of healthcare and skills training initiatives on the table in a move they say will guarantee a Coalition Government gets Far North Queensland back on track.
On Saturday, the Coalition announced it will increase the training of local GPs for the Cairns community by delivering 25 new medical Commonwealth Supported Places for James Cook University at its Cairns campus.
“This will ensure we train locally the next generation of GPs and address chronic health workforce shortages in Far North Queensland. This is part of our commitment to increase the total number of medical CSPs across Australia by 350 over the next four years,’’ Mr Dutton’s team, including Liberal National Party candidate for Leichhardt Jeremy Neal, announced in a statement.
“It’s never been harder or more expensive to see a doctor in Cairns. In just three years under Labor, the bulk billing rate in Leichhardt has dropped by more than 8 per cent.
“We are committed to turning this around by building the pipeline of local doctors, investing more in Medicare, and expanding access to bulk-billed services to restore bulk billing to the levels it was under us.’’
As part of the Coalition’s commitment to healthcare in Cairns, they will also invest more than $6m to upgrade the local headspace so more Cairns youth are able to access support when they need it, if elected.
A further $33.8m would be invested into infrastructure upgrades to support Cairns Regional Council’s development of the Mount Peter Southern Growth Corridor, an area which is projected to have an extra 42,500 people in the near future.
A Dutton Coalition Government would also build the workforce needed to tackle Australia’s housing and construction challenges head-on, they said, announcing that they will establish a new Australian Technical College in Cairns by committing up to $19m to Tec-NQ to expand its footprint to build a new school.
“Our Australian Technical Colleges will ensure young people in Cairns and surrounding regions have the opportunity to get a head start on in-demand skills.’’
Mr Dutton said only the LNP has a plan to invest in the future of Far North Queensland.
“For too long, the needs of Far North Queensland have been ignored by Labor – whether it's better roads and infrastructure, healthcare or skills. For a region like this to reach its potential, all levels of government must work together to ensure residents in the region are not left behind,’’ Mr Dutton said.
LNP candidate for Leichhardt Jeremy Neal said: “Peter Dutton and the LNP team have heard the concerns of Far North Queenslanders. Unlike Labor, we will act on these concerns and ensure a better future for the region.”
LNP candidate for Kennedy Annette Swaine added: “This project is one of the Cairns Regional Council, and the community’s, priorities. This investment will ensure that FNQ has the quality roads and infrastructure that it needs to get ahead and support future housing development.”
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