JOHN Barilaro's re-election campaign received a welcome boost this week with NSW Premier Mike Baird dropping by Queanbeyan on Tuesday to join the local member in announcing millions of dollars in election grants for Queanbeyan and the Monaro.
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With less than three weeks to go until the March 28 election and a tight, two per cent margin to defend, Mr Barilaro co-announced a $15 million-plus knock-down/rebuild for the 37-year-old Queanbeyan Police Station, a $60,000 grant for the ever-growing Queanbeyan Basketball Association, and a $224 million, state-wide assistance package for primary school teachers.
It comes on top of more than $30 million of projects already announced for the Monaro by the Government this year, and Mr Barilaro said there'd be more to come during the campaign.
"I will continue to fight, and yes, of course there's going to be a few more announcements before election day," he said."I've made sure over four years that Queanbeyan and the wider region isn't left behind."
The Baird Bus emblazoned with the premier's face and packed full of Sydney journalists and staffers arrived in Queanbeyan on Tuesday morning, kicking of at the Queanbeyan Basketball Centre in Karabar, home of the Queanbeyan Yowies.
The club recently emptied all its bank accounts to fund a new roof to replace the old leaking and asbestos ridden roof, and Basketball Association president Jan Browne said the $60,000 grant couldn't have come at a better time.
"Fixing the roof left us broke," she said. "Now we can upgrade the toilets, replace the lights and plan for a further expansion. The donation... will help get us back on track."
The premier and Mr Barilaro then travelled to Queanbeyan South Public School to announce the $224 million 'Quality Teaching, Successful Students' package to assist and mentor primary school teachers, before visiting local police at the Queanbeyan Police Station to announce a complete rebuild of the local station if re-elected.
Head of the Monaro Local Area Command, Superintendent Rod Smith, told The Queanbeyan Age that the local force had outgrown the station, which was showing signs of age and disrepair.
"We've got a number of police that work offsite from here, because we simply don't have the capacity to house them in this building, and that causes major disruptions to our operations and the way we communicate," he said.
"To have them housed all under the one roof will certainly be a big benefit to us."
Meanwhile John Barilaro's Labor rival, Steve Whan, was critical of the Baird Bus blitz and particularly the police station announcement, calling it a "rushed" election stunt.
"Today's visit saw a small but welcome contribution to the basketball hall in Queanbeyan and then a clearly hurried and poorly considered announcement of a new Police station," Mr Whan said.
"As shadow Minister for Police I obviously put a very high priority on good working conditions but this announcement had all the hallmarks of a hasty grab for something to say.
"Like it or loath it the 1970's police station and court house has strong architectural and heritage value and to just blithely and without any consultation say it will be replaced smacks of rushed decision making."
Meanwhile Mr Barilaro said he was proud of his record over the last four years, and said he was the underdog against Mr Whan in what promises to be a tight election in the mini bellwether of the Monaro.
"To have the premier in Queanbeyan for this election is important," Mr Barilaro said. "It's a morale booster for the volunteers on the ground, but it's also a commitment from this government that places like Queanbeyan and the Monaro are part of the plans for the NSW Government in the future.
"This is always a marginal, bellwether seat...and I sense that I'm the underdog; there's no doubt about that. I'm asking the voters of this region to look at my track record over four years."