You and I both know we live in a world gone mad, but this is getting ridiculous.

Just one week to go until we hit the polls and the parties don't know whether they're Arthur or Martha.

The Greens are rejecting plans to create new national parks, the LNP is showing sympathy for the homeless and Labor is vowing to crackdown on youth crime with curfews and a name and shame policy.

An elevator ride to the top floor with a flatulent elephant would make more sense - and be more enjoyable - than this arid and irksome election campaign.

In a press release this week, Greens candidate for Barron River Sarah Isaacs rejected Labor's plan to make the Mona Mona reserve near Kuranda a national park.

Considering the Greens will reap more than 10 per cent in Barron River you can bet this announcement sent shivers down the spine of ALP incumbent Steve "The Shadow" Wettenhall.

"The Greens usually welcome new National Park initiatives but find themselves in the ironic situation of opposing the formation of one on the old Mona Mona reserve," she said.

"The Queensland Government moves to take this land and put it into the surrounding National Park are objectionable.

"The (ALP) cabinet decision in November last year to carve up the land must be overturned."

The move by the Greens was so ironic that The Shadow almost had a heart attack. He managed to get it overturned, just like that.

He and his party realised Greens preferences are the only way he can win.

Instead of standing by a decision he caved in just to save his own arse. It is politics at its purest and scummiest level.

To keep the topsy turvy tenor of the campaign flowing, the LNP's heart was bleeding all over a statement it issued slamming Labor's Andrew Fraser for his scare-mongering about funding for the homeless and disabled.

"Mr Fraser is panicking and trying to use any avenue to scare people to stay with his team, even the homeless, the sick and the needy. It`s disgraceful," Shadow Minister for Social Inclusion Rosemary Menkens said.

"Under a LNP government the budget for the Department of Disability and Community Services will be quarantined from any cuts and the productivity drive. There will be no cuts, none."

Finally, to complete this tour through the other side of the looking glass, Premier Anna Bligh vowed to get tough on young crims.

"Our young people are our future and sometimes you have to be tough to be kind," she said.

"We need tough laws to deal with repeat offenders and the worst of these youths."

Captain Bligh promises to give courts new powers to place curfews on juvenile offenders and allow identifying information of young crims to be published if the court deems it to be in the interests of justice.

What on earth is going on? A Greenie who doesn't want more land reclaimed as a national park? A bleeding heart Conservative? A leftie Labor leader promising to open a can of whoop arse on juvies?

Enough of the trinket issues and shallow policies. Can someone let me know exactly what it is the major parties are going to do for the Far North?

We know they'll both redevelop the Cairns Base Hospital. But we've had no clues about the long-term future of our health services and all we seem to get is candidates who promise to "review" everything.

As an example of this new outbreak of review fever, consider the lack of leadership on the City Port South development, aimed at transforming the waterfront area from the Hilton Cairns south along Trinity Inlet.

It's like candidates are too afraid to stand up and commit to anything.

Why can't they vow to keep it as open park land for the community or articulate a clear vision to make the space as brilliant as South Bank in Brisbane?

Law and order is no different. The only thing we've heard about is more cops on the beat.

No detail, of course, about where they'll come from or how we'll pay for it or what they'll do. A handful of cops on bikes, Ms Judy Spence, do not equal a crackdown on crime.

And what about Aboriginal issues? I realise there are only a handful of votes in it but surely the parties can't completely ignore the problems in health, education, violence and itinerancy.

Whatever happens next Saturday I hope as a community and a state we make the right choice.

There's little doubt that the Far North is one of the best places on earth to live. We need to make sure our political leaders keep it that way.

Share this article