The decision by Member for Cook Cynthia Lui to move her electorate from Mareeba to Cairns is the latest slap in the face from Labor to rural, regional and remote Queenslanders, State KAP Leader Robbie Katter has said.

 Mr Katter said while there were great challenges faced by MPs who represent large electorates, he was astounded that the Member for Cook had backed down from a pre-election promise and opted to move her office to Cairns.

 Cairns is not in the Cook electorate.

 The Traeger MP said Ms Lui’s relocation decision flew in the face of fighting against service centralisation and giving smaller communities a genuine voice in the Queensland Parliament.

 He said he was not surprised by reports that Mareeba locals were up in arms about the move.

 “In the interest of taking a stand against centralisation, I would like to call on the Member for Cook to reverse this decision,” Mr Katter said.

 “Regional Members of Parliament like myself and Ms Lui need to send a clear message to smaller communities that they matter and that their voices will be heard,” he said.

 “Relocating from Mareeba is one thing, but moving to Cairns which is not even in the Cook electorate sends a terrible message to the people of the North.”

 Mr Katter said the State Labor Party had a shocking track record of removing services from the bush and ignoring the views and voices of rural communities.

 “It is my experience that as an MP in these types of electorates, you need make a point of going to the people you represent and not waiting for them to come to you,” he said.

 “I clock up tens of thousands of kilometres every year and spend many days and nights away from home because I get out of my office and am on the road or in the air trying to get to people.

 “The KAP is fighting to keep services in the bush, meanwhile the Palaszczuk Government, with their own representatives, are taking services away – even a humble electorate office is not immune.

 “This is astounding.”