Tax proposals - true or otherwise - and mixed messages on the coal industry were key reasons for Labor's flop in last month's federal election in Queensland, shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers says.
Dr Chalmers has just finished a four-day listening tour of central and Northern Queensland with state Labor senator Anthony Chisholm to try and found out where the party went wrong.
He says there was some issues around the complexity of the tax changes Labor took to the election.
These included changes to negative gearing and the franking credits regime.
"Obviously, the lies that were told about death taxes and pension cuts, we couldn't get on top of them effectively, or early enough," Dr Chalmers told the ABC's Insiders program on Sunday.
"Clive Palmer's $60 million in ads attacking the Labor Party, obviously didn't help."
He said there was also a perception the party was sending mixed messages on the coal industry.
"One of the main messages was that if we are to get the national economy growing again, we need to make sure that regional economies are growing strongly," he said.
"That means building on the traditional strengths, whether it be agriculture or mining or tourism. Not abandoning the strengths. The message was heard loud and clear."
