7 December 2013
Pam McKay
Daily Mercury
MICHELLE Landry is making a play for a spot on the joint standing committee for Northern Australia.
The Member for Capricornia has made her intention known to committee chairman and Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch.
The make-up of the 12-member committee has been decided but it is possible Ms Landry will be appointed as a supplementary (non-voting) member.
The committee is responsible for considering policies for the development of the parts of Australia that lie north of the Tropic of Capricorn, spanning Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland.
Mr Entsch said that, ideally, he would like every MP whose seat was in the Northern Australian region on the committee, but membership was limited.
“I am aware of Michelle’s interest and have spoken with her,” he said.
“I am determined as the chair that we are all going to be parochial and I’m talking parochial for Northern Australia.
“This is an opportunity for Northern Australia and we have to treat it as that.”
Rockhampton, along with Mackay, Townsville, Cairns and Darwin, have been identified as the major growth centres of the region.
“We will identify specific opportunities in all areas, including Capricornia,” Mr Entsch said.
“The idea is to work together. We have to get the policy settings right that will encourage population growth and economic development for the whole region.
Mr Entsch said the committee would release its preliminary report in June 2014.
Courtesy of the Daily Mercury