The Australian Labor Party has signalled a new focus on Queensland in the creation of the Queensland Resources portfolio.

Senator Murray Watt received the portfolio and believes the move could be crucial to Labor winning the upcoming federal election.

This comes as Newspoll figures indicate the Liberal and Labor parties are running a tight race in the two-party-preferred vote.

“What Albo has done is show everyone in Queensland he gets how important our resource sector is,” Mr Watt told Neil Breen.

“For 30 or 40 years, Labor has only ever won government at a federal level by getting working people and what might be described as the university educated inner-city people to vote for us as well.

“If we only try to chase one of those groups, we lose and the record shows that.”

Mr Watt said the portfolio will focus on job security and delivering better healthcare and roads to regional communities.

Press PLAY below to hear the full interview

Image: Tracey Nearmy / Stringer, Getty