The Premier has struggled to remember the name of her party’s candidate in a rural Queensland seat but he was spared embarrassment because he wasn’t there.

Annastacia Palaszczuk was at a chickpea silo in the electorate of Condamine on the Darling Downs where she made her latest pitch for regional votes.

The Premier had to look up the last name of Labor’s candidate in the seat, Brendon Huybregts, so it was probably a good thing that he couldn’t get time off from his job at a hardware store.

“Unfortunately he can’t be here today because he’s actually at work,” Ms Palaszczuk told reporters.

Mr Huybregts was only officially endorsed as Labor’s candidate for Condamine three days ago, but he did try to win the same seat for Labor in 2015.

He later told AAP he was disappointed to have missed the Premier and was forgiving about her memory fail.

“It’s not exactly a name that slips off your tongue that easy,” Mr Huybregts said from his workplace.

He said he had some notice that the Premier would be in town but staffing issues meant he couldn’t take time off.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk visited a chickpea distribution centre on the Darling Downs. Photo: ABC

“The party supports working class people and that’s exactly what I am.”

The LNP holds the seat with a 17.1 per cent margin, but Ms Palaszczuk said it was worth taking time to pass through.

“I think it’s really important to showcase to the rest of Queensland how important our agricultural industry really is.”

Earlier in the day, the Premier made a double-barrelled pitch for regional votes, promising $70 million to keep country racing on track and $29 million to help create new jobs in the bush and boost agriculture.

Labor has promised $10 million for a new distribution centre to quickly get crops from Queensland’s farming regions to international markets.

It will be built next to an airport capable of servicing export routes, but the Premier didn’t say which one. A likely contender is Wellcamp airport, outside Toowoomba, or possibly Cairns or Townsville.

Grants worth $10 million are also being offered to encourage rural councils, businesses and others to create and support jobs in the bush.

Ms Palaszczuk also used Melbourne Cup Day to announce $70 million over four years to help country race clubs, and the 1850 full-time regional jobs they support.

The money will maintain existing prize money pools and also allow for fatter prize pools in the future.

-AAP