Queensland's cabinet ministers are spending the week in the state's far north to fight unemployment problems, not shore up support before the next state election, the premier insists.
Annastacia Palaszczuk and her ministers held a cabinet meeting in Cairns on Monday afternoon, ahead of a week-long tour of the region.
The minority Labor government says it will travel in the Cairns and Wet Tropics regions, Cape York Peninsula and Torres Strait over the week meeting local residents and businesses.
It comes as the party looks to regain the local seats of Cairns and Cook held by controversial Labor-turned-independent MPs Rob Pyne and Billy Gordon.
But Ms Palaszczuk denies that was the reason for the trip.
"This week is a flow-on from when we've done it previously in Rockhampton and Townsville, and of course we'll be doing it next month on the Gold Coast," she told reporters on Monday.
However Ms Palaszczuk admitted the party "of course" needed to win back those two far northern seats to retain power.
She praised Labor's pre-selected candidates - former social worker Cynthia Lui, who will contest Cook, and local tourism identity Michael Healy, to run against Mr Pyne in Cairns.
"I expect every fight will be hard-fought in the lead-up to the election but that's why I am seeking the best possible candidates."
Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls, who was in Bundaberg unveiling an election policy at the same time, said Labor needed to hang onto those seats.
"Labor are panicking up north and they should be; they've ripped hundreds of millions of dollars of infrastructure out of places like Cairns and they have let the regions wither on the vine," he said.
"I think that a three-day flying visit to the region isn't going to fix almost three years of neglect."
It comes as the opposition repeated its calls for the premier to end speculation and announce the date of the election.
The next Queensland election is due by May next year but is widely tipped to be called for later this year, possibly in November.
Fixed four-year terms are due to come into effect following the next poll.
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