Queensland Labor will hand the keys of the Coen Biosecurity Centre on Cape York to local Aborigines on June 30. It will not be replaced elsewhere.

From Jim O’Toole, on assignment in Far North

The elusive, indigenous Labor member for Cook, Cynthia Lui of Yam Island in the Torres Strait has been missing in action for most of this year, except for an odd appearance in Cairns according to Cook constituents.

Where is Cynthia? The Premier’s pinup girl has been missing in action since the last election. Perhaps the PNG witch doctor recently relocated to Yam Island has put her under a spell?

Cynthia was noticeably absent during an Aboriginal uprising in Mareeba after police shot and killed a black man during a domestic dispute in March.

It was left to local police and the council to quell dissent when she should have been on deck, placating her native relatives, assuring them Labor’s socialist polices will take care of the myriad of social problems actually fostered by her inaction. These policies of throwing more money around to create more black agencies have proven to be the predisposing cause of spiraling Aboriginal domestic violence and poverty.

Cape York has generational social issues that are causing widespread problems associated with massive overcrowding of community housing where it is not unusual to find 20 adults and kids crammed into one three bedroom dwelling.

Rampant alcoholism, drug abuse, poor nutrition, and excessive power costs have gutted Cape York and its inhabitants.

Where is Cynthia? The indigenous mob voted for her at the last state election yet she doesn’t even give them lip service as her Brisbane compatriots do when challenged.

She moved her office out of the Cook electorate to Cairns breaking a promise not to do so if elected.

Her excuse was that Torres Strait constituents found traveling to her Mareeba office too hard. It was easier for them to meet at her new Cairns office after flying from Horn Island on a subsidized $100 fare.

The latest Labor dilemma is the handing over to a Coen tribe the only biosecurity bulwark between the vast farming and cattle industries of the Tablelands and PNG. Cynthia is steering clear of this one.

It defies logic that as much as Labor hates agriculture, in particular independent farmers, they would disown a million dollar, strategic biosecurity facility at Coen when the Torres Strait is the entry point for any number of exotic animal and plant diseases which could devastate northern food production if left unchecked.

The Voice cannot fix this mess.

Do the Brisbane Labor mob eat steak and veges?