The Indian mining giant has been fighting to get the $2 billion project, which is almost unanimously opposed by environmental groups around the country, over the line for more than half a decade.

Arguments are still raging over its possible impact on the Great Barrier Reef and the threat the proposed special water licence, which can only be issued by Queensland's Labor government, poses to farmers and other groundwater users in the Galilee Basin.

That licence would give Adani unlimited access to groundwater until 2077, 58 years from now.

While the project has always been a political hot potato, it is the timing of the announcement that is causing a furore.

Price has been under pressure from north-Queensland Nationals for months to grant the approval before the 2019 election was called.

Given we have been on a full-on election footing ever since the budget it is fair to say if the Morrison government had the usual respect for our democratic norms it would now be in caretaker mode.

If that was the case Tuesday's approval could only have been granted with the support of the federal opposition.

This is the same opposition which has been equivocating over whether or not it would allow the mine and railway project to proceed for years. Bill Shorten has delivered some very mixed messages which appear to be influenced by what group of voters he was talking to, in the past.

Because of the complexity of the situation, its drawn-out history, and the polarisation of voters into those for and those against, the temptation to politicise the announcement process would have been irresistible.

The obvious explanation for Price's decision to announce the approval, which appears to be supported by high level scientific and technical advice, now is it creates a scenario in which voters above the Brisbane line can be told Adani is progressing while, on the other hand, voters in "trendy" Sydney and Melbourne are told many more approvals are required.

A second, but equally important, consideration is the announcement has wedged the ALP into a position where it will be hard pressed to avoid coming clean on its own intentions which, as have been previously noted, have changed from year-to-year, region-to-region and state-to-state.

Federal Labor's position has been further complicated by the Queensland Labor government's lukewarm response to this week's announcement.

State environment minister, Leeanne Enoch, has already said that despite a sign-off from both CSIRO and Geoscience Australia, there were still "a number of uncertainties" around the water management plan that required the Palaszczuk government's approval.

It is unfortunate, given that as of January this year, more than 14,000 people had lodged expressions of interest for an, as yet, unknown number of jobs, the integrity of the decision making process has been thrown into doubt by the politicisation of the $2 billion project.

The facts are what should be driving this process. Given the implications for the environment, the national economy and the job prospects of north Queenslanders this is too important to be a political football.