January 22, 2015
Katter’s Australian Party candidate Ray Hopper says internal party polling shows he has made the right decision to stand for the seat of Nanango at the January 31 State election.
Mr Hopper, who was visiting supporters in the South Burnett on Thursday, said it would be “very close on election night” but he hadn’t cleaned out his office in George Street – like some MPs – and he expected to be moving soon into a bigger one.
The former LNP MP, now Queensland Leader of Katter’s Australian Party, also said he had no regrets about not recontesting the seat of Condamine.
“If I was a career politician I would be staying in Condamine because I would be easily re-elected,” Mr Hopper said.
“But I have come back to Nanango, coming home, to get another butt on another seat.”
Mr Hopper said he grew up within the borders of the Nanango, went to school here and now owns a farm in the electorate.
He said KAP had only 11 candidates standing at the election, all targeting areas where the old National Party had been strong.
“I was a National Party bloke through and through; 200 per cent,” he said.
But he said the Liberal Party had “taken over” the National Party after the LNP merger.
“They (the Liberals) had three seats and they were insolvent. We (the National Party) sold our assets to pay the Liberal Party’s debts,” he said.
The merged party had then dumped Nationals MPs, putting Liberals in their place, he said.
Former National Party leader Lawrence Springborg had been given the Health portfolio “as they thought he would fail”, but in fact he had become “the best Health Minister Queensland has ever had”.
Mr Hopper suggested Mr Springborg should be Premier, and if KAP had the balance of power, they could have the influence to make this happen.
He described the LNP’s decision to bring in now-Premier Campbell Newman from outside Parliament as party leader as “horrible” and unnecessary.
“A blue dog could have won that election.”
The crunch came for Mr Hopper after the 2012 election when an amended version of the Acland Stage 3 coal mine was approved.
“I stood beside Campbell Newman, Jeff Seeney and Deb Frecklington and promised that Acland Stage 3 would not go ahead,” he said.
“What could I do? I had asked 32,000 people to vote for me on that issue.”
He had looked around to find a party that was closest to the old National Party and he believed he had found it with KAP.
“As far as I am concerned we are the ex-National Party.”
Mr Hopper said he had suggested there be one “third party” in Queensland, including the Palmer United Party “but Clive’s attitude was you can join us if you like”.
“I think PUP’s finished” he said, noting, however, that KAP had decided not to run a candidate in Callide against PUP leader John Bjelke-Petersen.
Mr Hopper said his two promises to the Nanango electorate were:
1. KAP will stop the asset sales; and
2. KAP will start a low-interest State Bank for small businesses and farmers
“They are big enough promises to help this electorate.”
