General News
8 December, 2024
Office search on for MP
NEWLY elected Member for Cook David Kempton has been sworn in but he will have to work from Cairns until a suitable office space can be found within Mareeba.
Mr Kempton took the seat of Cook from Labor’s Cynthia Lui at October’s state election, vowing throughout his campaign to locate his office in Mareeba unlike the former member, who moved the office to Cairns.
But he will have to work from Ms Lui’s Cairns office for the time being, despite securing an office space in Mareeba’s Post Office complex before the poll.
“I made a firm commitment during the election that I would have an office in Mareeba and it is my intention to do that,” he said.
“But because the office space I have in Mareeba does not meet the Parliamentary Services requirements in terms of security, size and workplace, health and safety, I will have to work from the Cairns office until a suitable space can be found within Mareeba.”
Mr Kempton said he had been in discussions with the Clerk of the Parliament and the Speaker to expedite the reopening of the Mareeba office.
“Parliamentary Services is currently looking at every option available in Mareeba,” he said.
“Whilst the Clerk and the Speaker are sympathetic to the problem of finding a suitable premises, there is no quick fix.”
He is negotiating with the Clerk to occupy the old office in the Mareeba Post Office complex on an interim basis until a more suitable premises can be located.
