DEPUTY leader of the opposition Deb Frecklington could easily have been working on an unofficial election campaign when she dropped into a Proserpine Chamber of Commerce meeting last week.

Ms Frecklington took the floor and spoke of her family's experience as small business operators and Gloria Jeans franchisees in the town of Kingaroy, telling the crowd gathered at the Proserpine Entertainment Centre her "heart lies in regional Queensland”.

"I genuinely believe without the agricultural industry Queensland cannot continue to be the economic powerhouse that we really should be,” she said.

"I really am enjoying the way I can travel around Queensland talking up agriculture by saying it needs more investment in infrastructure.”

Ms Frecklington said her Whitsunday MP colleague Jason Costigan had spoken to her "endlessly” about the Urannah Dam project, adding the people of Whitsunday had a "fantastic advocate in Costo”.

Ms Frecklington congratulated Proserpine's new Miss Rodeo Australia Emma Deicke before feigning a reluctance to talk politics and starting a dialogue on small business penalty rates.

"We made the decision to close our shop over Easter simply because you cannot afford (it),” she said.

"We cannot do what the unions and Labor Party wants to do, which is charge an extra 15% for a cup of coffee.”

Changes to workers' compensation were also on the opposition deputy leader's agenda.

The next Queensland election is expected to be called by the Labor Government later this year.