Campbell Newman has again guaranteed the Galilee Basin will go ahead under his government, despite its coal projects being reliant on private funding.
But he gave no promises to enacting 'locals' job quotas to ensure the towns that are relying on the billion projects getting up – Emerald, Mackay, Mount Isa and Gladstone – receive the majority of the 10,000 jobs Mr Newman has promised the $16 billion Adani Carmichael Mine project will create.
Despite the Bligh Government opening the door to 100 per cent fly-in-fly-out projects, Labor has since vowed to outlaw 100 per cent FIFO.
Mr Newman used that as his focus to hit out against the Opposition, but could not explain how he would ensure the projects his government is supporting would get off the ground given the hesitation from the private market to fund coal projects.
"The only people who have approved 100% fly in/fly out are the Labor Party, OK?," he said in Mackay on Saturday.
"So Annastacia Palaszczuk sat in cabinet when they approved mines up near that are 100% fly in/fly out and this party is the one that has always said that any new mine will have to see local jobs and local content and we will not agree to 100% fly in/fly out but, ladies and gentlemen, what has then happened?
"The Labor Party again think they can just dance into town, sing a new tune and that everyone's going to believe them.
"Queenslanders shouldn't believe them. Don't look at what they say, look at what they did. They said there would be a fuel subsidy, after the election they got rid of it.
"They said they wouldn't sell assets. They sold $16 billion to $18 billion worth.
"They are now saying they're against 100% FIFO, they approved those mines.
"It's snake oil, ladies and gentlemen, snake oil."
Mr Newman said his government would "facilitate all the necessary approvals in an environmentally sustainable and responsible way to see the Galilee go forward".
But the projects remain under threat from both legal action and scepticism that Adani and GVK Hancock will get the funds to get the projects going.
Federal Trade Minister Andrew Robb visited India this month on a trade mission Mr Newman missed because of the snap election he announced on January 6, met with Gautam Adani and discussed the project.
Adani has the biggest stake in the Galilee with its Carmichael project set to be the biggest coal mine in Australia if it gets off the ground. But sinking coal prices and high development costs have left financiers skittish to commit to such a major project.
The Queensland Government is relying on the Galilee Basin projects getting off the ground to help boost its resource, employment and construction sectors. With LNG gas projects initiated under previous Labor governments moving from the construction to production phase, jobs have been shed.
It has committed to using taxpayer funds from its asset lease and privatisation program to help build infrastructure, such as rail lines and airports, to kick start the region, with those assets eventually to be bought out by the private sector.
