COMMUNITY leaders across the Far North have a clear message for whoever is elected this weekend – things need to change. All the election results, live on Cairns.com.au.

As the LNP's Warren Entsch firms as the clear favourite in Leichhardt and Kennedy's independent candidate Bob Katter has prospects of power in a hung parliament, local economic and development groups say whoever is elected will need to work hard to fix the region.

They want stimulus spending re-deployed to the Far North from regions that no longer need it, wiser use of the funds and increased involvement for Far Northern contractors.

And they will hold whichever party wins government to its promises, such as Labor's commitments to super-fast broadband and a performing arts facility and Coalition pledges for a medical research hub and a cancer centre.

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Sportsbet.com.au last night had Mr Entsch's odds of winning Leichhardt at $1.31, and Mr Turnour's at $3. Half-way through the campaign, Mr Entsch was at $1.60 to Mr Turnour’s $2.20.

Cairns Chamber of Commerce president Jeremy Blockey said whichever party won government would need to pay the region more
attention.

"With national stimulus spending, they should be reallocating what's going into regions that have got 3-4 per cent unemployment," he said.

"It's just ridiculous that this situation hasn't been addressed."

Western Cape Chamber of Commerce president Vance Wallins said infrastructure investment also needed to be smarter.

"The whole thing's been appalling - spending in the wrong places for the wrong reasons," he said.

He said school facilities and roads on the Cape desperately needed funding, but the Government was "putting money into things like a hostel that nobody wants here".

Advance Cairns chief executive Ross Contarino said many of the organisation's priorities were yet to be taken up by either party, such as fairer airport charges.

He said the region risked being left behind as the rest of the country recovered from the economic downturn.

The Tableland also needed infrastructure investment and support for struggling small businesses, Mareeba Chamber of Commerce president Rhonda Bodkin said.

Leichhardt Labor MP Jim Turnour yesterday said if he and Labor were both re-elected, there would be a Community Cabinet meeting in Cairns.

"The only way you will get a prime minister and entire cabinet in Cairns is to vote for Labor," Mr Turnour said.

The Coalition has vowed to scrap Community Cabinet meetings to save money.

Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Wayne Swan told reporters in Cairns this week’s rise in unemployment to 10.3 per cent showed the importance of the Government's stimulus.

"Talk to anyone in the building industry about how important our investment has been," Mr Swan said.

But Mr Entsch said stimulus spending had benefitted big southern-based companies over local firms.

He said he would pull community leaders together to jointly develop future plans for the region, including his sports and cultural precinct proposal.

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