Traditional mayors hit back at Queensland LNP Leader’s plan to sideline Truth-Telling and Healing Inquiry

"Who's that on my head?" Steven Miles in the rough-and-tumble of the election campaign. "Are you putting sand down my pants?" No, he's covering your foot" The Premier slid from one photo opportunity to the next dropping into a medical centre in Mackay to reveal more details about Labor's re-election pledge for 50 new bulk billing G-P clinics. “38 of them will be regional 6 of them in the Mackay/Whitsunday region” LNP leader David Crisafulli was on the hustings in Hervey Bay. "Brandy (the dog) will you shake hands?" Before flying back to Brisbane, where he wanted to talk about local government. “Equal partners, it's time to return this relationship to a level footing” But he was on the back foot over his plan to scrap the truth telling and healing inquiry a group of Indigenous mayors pleading for it to continue. “It's sad for us to walk away from our people” “I respect their point of view and I need them to know I'm serious about helping in their communities” Last year the LNP withdrew its support for the state's path to treaty laws following the Voice referendum. “I saw the division, and I don't want to go down the same path for Queensland” The inquiry has already begun hearings with more planned. But Mr Crisafulli is adamant that an LNP government would axe it. “We will Jack but our focus is going to be on doing good things for Indigenous communities setting KPIs particularly around education and housing” “It's incredibly sad the way David Crisafulli has turned his back on our First Nations people” The inquiry's chair says abolishing it would be devastating for the community. “This is the last generation of people who grew up under the protection era legislation, that really tough legislation which removed people from their families” “and when they're gone that direct evidence that an inquiry like these needs will be lost” It's not clear when the LNP would introduce new laws to abandon the hearings.