filed by Robert J Lee at Coen

Editorial

Hollow promises of more funding, freehold land ownership, more land grants and removal of alcohol management plans are just some of the palm-greasing tactics for indigenous groups which are being touted by the Liberal Member for Cook David Kempton in the hope of holding his seat at the November State election.

The Kowanyama township was one indigenous group mesmerised into voting for him at the 2012 election.

Labor polling booth supporters at Kowanyama complained to Electoral Commission officials on election day about Kempton’s henchmen trying to bribe voters by telling them alcohol management plans would be removed should they support the Liberal Party.

A scuffle broke out between different supporters and the Liberal emissary was ordered away from the booth.

Liberal Member for Cook, David Kempton

Surprisingly the Liberal vote was the highest ever at Kowanyama but two years later local community social club members are still waiting for the AMP’s to be lifted.

A front page story in the Weekend Australian in September accused Mr Kempton, a solicitor, of these less than savoury electoral activities.

This time around Mr Kempton’s tactics have not altered but increased in desperation as more and more people wake up that the anti- small business and economic rationalist policies of the Liberals are sinking them further into the mire of failed businesses, unemployment and asset sales.

Such as the Peninsula where a handful of Cairns-based, unelected, high profile indigenous identities get rewarded with many millions of dollars by the Liberals (and Labor) for such esoteric purposes as training, health initiatives and land preservation, among a long list of other obscure, mostly meaningless projects.

While the rank and file community members of the Peninsula languish in often third world conditions, the politically aligned and correct few, cop all the benefits and bouquets.

The people of Cape York Peninsula, indeed the indigenous people of Far North Queensland will never prosper under the policies of either Labor or the Liberals.

A new state of North Queensland starting at the Tropic of Capricorn, is desperately needed to reclaim the vast amount of income generated by the region which the Liberals have hijacked into Brisbane.

The condition of the Far North road network, water storages, infrastructures, extraordinarily high power and water charges, rates, rent , a $400 annual mining lease tax, emergency services taxation and other increased government charges have emphasised the government funding scam and the Royalties for Regions ruse, with very little money being returned to where it was generated.

Only when a new state is created with its own local inhabitants elected for self-government will indigenous people be able to chart their own destiny.

Supporting either the Liberals or Labor at the election will ensure a new state is never created.