06.23 am, Wednesday May 23 2012

Former Qld MP Jim Pearce plans comeback

14:44 AEDT Mon Aug 15 2011
By Petrina Berry
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Former Queensland Labor MP Jim Pearce says he intends on contesting the next state election to help farmers in the battle against miners.

The popular former member for Fitzroy is seeking endorsement as the ALP's candidate for Mirani, in central Queensland.

Mr Pearce, who has been advocating for mining communities, said the impacts of coal and coal seam gas (CSG) mining on landowners and other mining issues have motivated him to return to politics.

"These mining and gas companies should blame themselves for the growing resentment towards them across Queensland," Mr Pearce told AAP.

"They have been dishonest bully boys and they show no respect and little consideration for people affected."

He said he wants to see more rights for landowners to negotiate with mining companies and for prime cropping land to be protected from coal and CSG mining, including the grain growing region west of Rockhampton, known as the golden triangle.

"The biggest problem with the government is that there is not enough communication with the farmers and landowners impacted (by mining)," Mr Pearce said.

"The agencies need to sit down and listen to their concerns."

He said he is also concerned about the negative impacts of a large fly-in fly-out workforce mining companies want to introduce to the regions.

He said he has talked to several ALP members but not Premier Anna Bligh about his comeback plans.

"I'm confident I have a lot of support and can win (ALP endorsement)," Mr Pearce said.

Mr Pearce was diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety in 2008.

He retired at the 2009 state election after more than 20 years in state politics.

Mr Pearce said he's doing well and was ready to once again take on the stresses that come with being a politician.

The sitting MP in Mirani is the Liberal National Party's Ted Malone who has declined to comment.

 

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