KAP Member for Hill, Shane Knuth, has launched a blistering attack on the Queensland Redistribution Commission (QRC) after its final decision today to abolish the electorate of Hill, accusing the Commission of ignoring overwhelming public opposition, while rewarding South-East Queensland with even greater political power.
Mr Knuth also squarely blamed the Liberal National Party, whose submission to the QRC specifically called for the abolition of Hill despite fierce opposition from North Queensland communities, councils and residents.
“The QRC has made a shocking decision that weakens North Queensland’s voice in Parliament and sends yet another seat to South-East Queensland,” Mr Knuth said.
“This is an appalling outcome and no matter how the QRC tries to explain it or how the LNP spins it in the media, the bare fact is that North Queensland loses a seat, which weakens our voice in parliament.”
Mr Knuth said the most galling aspect was that the LNP deliberately advocated for the abolition of Hill when there was a simple alternative.
“The LNP could have legislated to increase the number of seats in Parliament.
That would have accommodated South-East Queensland’s population growth without robbing North Queensland of one of its valuable parliamentary voices.
Instead, they chose the lazy option by sacrificing and betraying every North Queenslander.”
Mr Knuth said every Member of Parliament representing North Queensland, regardless of what political party they belonged to, should be furious.
“This should never be about party politics. It should be about standing shoulder to shoulder to defend North Queensland.
When our region loses a seat, every single North Queensland MP loses influence.
That’s one less voice fighting for our roads, hospitals, schools, agriculture, mining, tourism and regional jobs.”
Mr Knuth said it was particularly disappointing that the QRC had ignored the overwhelming opposition from the region.
“Residents, businesses, community organisations and four local councils all overwhelmingly opposed abolishing Hill, yet their voices were simply brushed aside.”
Mr Knuth said the irony was impossible to ignore.
“The LNP’s own submission openly proposed abolishing Hill, while creating additional electorates in South-East Queensland.
They cannot pretend this somehow just happened. They deliberately targeted and wanted Hill abolished and got exactly what they asked for.”
Mr Knuth said the decision would create larger electorates, longer travel distances and make it even harder for regional communities to access their local Member.
“North Queensland needs more representation, not less. We already cover enormous distances compared with metropolitan members.
Reducing our representation while Brisbane continues to grow politically is exactly why regional Queensland continually gets left behind.”
Mr Knuth said the decision also ignored the fact that Hill remained a viable electorate with growing communities and enrolments well within quota.
“Hill wasn’t an electorate in decline. It was comfortably within quota, serving growing regional communities across the Atherton Tablelands and Cassowary Coast. Yet somehow the Commission decided it should disappear anyway.”
Mr Knuth vowed to continue fighting for the communities currently represented by Hill, regardless of the boundaries.
“I have spent more than two decades standing up for regional Queensland and I won’t stop now. But make no mistake, this is a sad day for North Queensland.
The biggest losers are the people of North Queensland, whose voice in Queensland Parliament has been deliberately weakened.”