IT WAS intended as a forum for local business owners to hear from our state opposition leaders and provide feedback.

But Federal Member for Dawson George Christensen stole the show at last week's LNP meet and greet, hosted the Abell Point Marina in Airlie Beach.

While Mr Christensen was given the same chance to present to the audience as his state counterparts, Tim Nicholls and Deb Frecklington, the spotlight was on him come Q&A time.

And the room was abuzz when he responded to a question from Tourism Whitsundays chairman Al Grundy as to his government's intentions regarding funding for the reef.

"You're going to hear more on what our side of politics is going to do regarding reef funding in the coming weeks," he said.

"I don't know exactly what it is, but I can tell you its going to be ridiculous, as in ridiculously good."

Mr Christensen also made some bold claims regarding the proposed backpacker tax, currently postponed pending a review.

Responding to a question about whether an LNP Federal Government would be tempted to introduce the tax, Mr Christensen replied with an emphatic "no".

"Treasurers get tempted to do lots of silly things, but I can tell you they won't be treasurer if they go ahead and do that," he said.

"I can tell you it's gone, it's dead, it's buried, it will never see the light of day again."

A number of other key local issues were also discussed, with Abell Point Marina owner Paul Darrouzet asking "why we have a state debt greater than many, many countries."

State opposition leader Tim Nicholls said he believed cutting red tape would help turn this around.

"The opportunities that we need are best delivered by the private sector," he said.

"In Queensland we have 10,000 small businesses employing more than about 90% of the workforce.

"So government's role in helping small business is in fact to get out of the way most of the time.

"To allow the innovation, to allow the entrepreneurship, to enable the risk taking to take place."