September 15, 2014
Katter’s Australian Party believes it has a real chance of holding the balance of power in the Queensland Parliament come the next State election.
The party’s founder, Federal member for Kennedy Bob Katter, and the party’s Queensland leader Ray Hopper, dropped into Kingaroy today to meet with local residents.
Mr Hopper, the Member for Condamine, is vacating the seat in favour of his son, Ben, to challenge the LNP’s Deb Frecklington in Nanango.
Mr Hopper predicted KAP could hold the balance of power.
“Campbell Newman will not win Ashgrove which means we will have Jeff Seeney as Premier,” he said.
“He’s going to lose probably 30 seats which will put us in a balance-of-power of situation. If we can win five to 10 seats … no one can form government without us saying we will help. That will give us the power.
“Would you rather have decisions being made by country people in your electorate or by people in Brisbane?
“So if you have a representative in a balance-of-power situation, that gives the people of Nanango the power to make the decisions on how to run government. And I think that’s a wonderful thing.”
Mr Hopper said KAP was confident of winning Mt Isa, Dalrymple, Condamine, Nanango, Lockyer, Gympie, Hinchinbrook, Burdekin and Cook.
Mr Katter said KAP “dipped out” in the northern Queensland seats by 2 per cent in the last election.
“We don’t intend to dip out by 2 per cent in this election … there’s no doubt they’re going to take huge losses in the north.”
Mr Hopper explained his decision to switch from the LNP to KAP after the last State election.
He said the LNP went into the last election saying that Acland Stage 3 would not go ahead and that there would be no coal seam gas east of the Condamine River.
“Three weeks after the election we’re talking about Acland Stage 3 going ahead and they were drilling east of the Condamine River,” he said.
“So I fell on my sword because I went to the people under the LNP telling them that they were safe if they voted for me. As soon as we get elected all those promises were broken. Well, I wasn’t going to stay in that situation, no way in the world.”
Mr Hopper said that if KAP held the balance of power, Acland Stage 3 would be “revisited”.
Another issue, was the outsourcing of stock inspection services by the former Labor Government which had put a burden on cattle producers which had not been addressed by the LNP government.
“We have no National Party any more. We have a Liberal Party government,” Mr Hopper said.
Mr Hopper said there would be three things that he would be demand of government:
- A State Bank for Queensland (ie low-interest loans for primary producers)
- Give power back to elected Councillors – “take the power off the Town Planners and give it back to the democratically elected councillors”
- Mandating 10 per cent ethanol of all petrol sold
He said KAP would also oppose asset sales.
“Those assets belong to the people of Queensland. You don’t sell half your farm and expect to run the same amount of cattle,” Mr Hopper said.
“We’re selling assets to build tunnels in Brisbane and a $6.5 million pollie palace so the Ministers can pick what colour leather they’re going to sit in.”
Everyone can guarantee that the LNP will be losing seats in the upcoming election due to the absolute abhorrent & pathetic dictatorship rather than any beneficial performance.
Mr “Swapper” Hopper and KAP is certainly not what this electorate requires to help future development and sustainability.
Where have the Katter Party been when voting in Parliament on mining issues? The opportunity to prove their position against CSG etc have been given, but a no show was the result. This pro-mining crew have avoided the issues until now when it suits them. Not good enough.
Their continual silence on all issues is proof of their demise in politics. VLAD, mining, CSG, Great Barrier Reef survival etc, all the devastating changes made by the LNP within Qld – where was their vocal opposition… none.
Mr Hopper has realised he has no chance of winning back his seat in Condamine, so once again bails on the voters, thinking only of his political ego.
Oh Grant, if only you had a mirror that you could reflect some of the Australian Green’s and your own policies through – what the South Burnett doesn’t need is more self-righteous politicians in any part, just listeners and doers!
This could be good for the South Burnett! The LNP Pork Barrel might be rolled out in an attempt to keep the seat in the LNP fold.
In recent years we see a reemergence of favoured alliances and accusations of political influence reminiscent of corruption in 1980s. Business influence on government policy and reallocation of resources to meet industry needs should not be ignored by Queensland’s voting public. Effects to change legislation for industry or individual advantage lacks transparency in disclosure of benefactor involvement in political decisions within the current administration and needs to be addressed. Mining and developer interactions between politicians and party officials without nondisclosure of fund arrangements and donations is of particular concern in most communities across Queensland. Protection of farming lands, rural communities, the Great Barrier Reef etc are left wanting as developer interests exert political pressure through political policy adjustments to legislation disempowering local communities and interest groups opposed to various developments statewide. We do need a change not only to the incumbent government but to the application of empowerment and accountability by all Queensland governments.
I think US entrepreneur Nick Hanauer says it best, and although he’s talking about the USA what he has to say applies equally in Australia:
“There’s an idea in our society that rich people are job creators and that if we tax them more they’ll create less jobs. This is simply a misunderstanding of how the economy works. It’s actually the middle class that create the jobs by creating the demand that forces businesses to increase employment.
“Corporate profits are at a 50 year high, while unemployment is also at a 50 year high. If it was true that the rich and businesses were the job creators, we’d be drowning in jobs today.”
“The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerated the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than the democratic state itself. That in its essence is fascism: ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or any controlling private power.
Franklin D Roosevelt
Exactly Jack – and glad to see you agree that Bob Katter and his mates really shouldn’t be in Government (there’s a lot more about the Copperstring project on the Net – Google it):
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/energy-smart/katters-power-plan-still-on-table-20120207-1r5ka.html:
As with the current State Government and council preferential treatment abounds and should not be tolerated. Unfortunately to vote for the LNP is to sustain a regime well-practised in these matters. In the coming months leading up to the State election I feel much will be revealed about the inner workings of this government an Queensland politics in general.
http://www.caboolturenews.com.au/news/senate-inquiry-into-lnp-could-lead-to-prison/2376511/