Cathy O'Toole (Herbert, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I have spoken in this place time and time again about Townsville's dire water situation. In fact, I'm beginning to sound like a broken record but I will not give up. Townsville's desperate need for long-term water security has been reported in the Townsville Bulletin time and again. There is a solution. Labor committed $100 million over 18 months ago to stage 2 of the Haughton pipeline, which will give Townsville 5o to 60 years long-term water security. As reported in the Townsville Bulletin this last week, the member for Dawson, whose electorate includes parts of Townsville, and the LNP candidate for Herbert, Phillip Thompson, are lobbying to take Townsville's money for a project that is not a water solution for Townsville. The Hell's Gates report clearly states that Hell's Gates could not be considered a competing potable water source for Townsville. Those who say otherwise are not strong advocates for Townsville, and shame on them. Typical of this Morrison government, totally out of touch with regional communities, it has not listened to the people of Townsville in terms of water. How dare the member for Dawson, George Christensen, and the candidate for Herbert, Phillip Thompson, think they can rip off the people of Townsville by taking our money into a project outside of Townsville.

My question to the LNP candidate for Herbert is: why is he lobbying his government to take money out of the electorate of Herbert? Surely he should be fighting for funds in our community and not be looking to break promises of the Prime Minister? I fought for Townsville's long-term water security. That's why I got $100 million for stage 2.

See this speech in context