Bob Katter

In this instalment of the Gumtree Series Podcast, Bob Katter cuts straight to the heart of the challenges facing Far North Queensland and regional Australia. Episode 4 dives into the looming banana import crisis, exposing the pressures placed on local growers and the broader implications for Australia’s biosecurity and food sovereignty. Bob also takes aim at the lack of accountability within the federal government, questioning how long critical regional industries can withstand policy neglect. From there, the conversation shifts west to Mount Isa, where the uncertain future of the Copper Smelter raises urgent concerns for jobs, economic stability, and the long-term viability of resource communities. Rounding out the episode, Bob champions the need for a Reserve Resource Policy, a framework to ensure Australia retains control over its own natural wealth and secures a fair return for its people. Bold, unapologetic, and grounded in the realities of the bush, Episode 4 is essential listening for anyone who cares about the future of Australia. Hosted by his Chiefs; Kahla Kruger and Elise Nucifora.

Yesterday, Hon Bob Katter MP was honoured to attend the commemorative service held by the Herbert River RSL Sub Branch in Ingham. In a moving gathering of veterans, families and community members, Mr Katter said together, they reflected on the service of our Anzacs and all those who have served our nation. "Thank you to everyone who attended the Ingham service with me yesterday in honour of our veterans," Mr Katter said. "Also, a big thank you to the Herbert River RSL Sub Branch in Ingham for organising another wonderful, dignified and respectful event." In recent years, Bob Katter has consistently emphasised the importance of remembering the sacrifices made by our servicemen and women. He has urged that our returned veterans be afforded dignity and fair treatment. “Remembrance Day and ANZAC Day are both timely reminders for veterans, their families and for the general public to acknowledge the sacrifices that Australians have made, and continue to make, for our country. At the Ingham service, Bob Katter reaffirmed his commitment to supporting our veterans and ensuring their sacrifice is never forgotten. He acknowledged the courage of those who have served, the ongoing service of the RSL branches and the vital role of community remembrance. The Office of Bob Katter MP looks forward to continuing to work with local RSL branches and veterans’ organisations across North Queensland to honour our uniformed service – past and present. ENDS

KAP Member for Kennedy, Bob Katter MP, was formally honoured last week with the unveiling of his official portrait in Parliament House in Canberra. The work, painted by renowned Australian artist David Darcy, joins the collection of portraits of former Prime Ministers, Speakers, Governor Generals and a small handful of others who have made a significant contribution to the nation. Mr Katter used the occasion to pay tribute not only to his family and colleagues but to the generations of Australians whose resilience and ingenuity built the country. “This is not a painting of ‘a person’ and I hope nobody sees it that way,” Mr Katter said. “It’s recognition of people that have very strong feelings about this country, to make it a land of opportunity, to have the same wonderful opportunities that I and most of my generation enjoyed.” In his speech, Mr Katter thanked Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Speaker of the House Milton Dick, and acknowledged his long-standing friendship since entering Parliament with the Prime Minister, as well as the Speaker’s Charters Towers family connection. “I have been good friends with Anthony. Always liked the bloke since we first went into Parliament together. Albo, we’ve had words in the past, but whatever your shortcomings may be, I consider you a good friend,” Mr Katter said. He also recognised the work of Queensland grazier Russell Lethbridge and the Prime Minister in progressing the long-envisioned inland highway linking Far North Queensland to Melbourne. “That great inland highway will be completed within two and a half years, and I want to put on public record, thank you to both Russell Lethbridge and yourself, PM,” he said. Reflecting on his early political influences, Mr Katter paid tribute to both former Prime Minister John Howard and his own mentors, Sir Leo Hielscher, Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen and Lady Pearl Logan. “I was and still am a great admirer of John Howard… But I appreciate Anthony Albanese – who like John Howard, is just an ordinary Australian,” he said. “With the superstars that I had the honour of working with… Leo and Joe, Queensland became the biggest coal exporting state on earth.” The Kennedy MP also reflected on his deep North Queensland roots, recounting stories of family service and sacrifice through war and hard work. “If you add a kid who was born at the end of the Second World War - a kid that knows his family lost a son at Gallipoli and another at Changi, then you understand what you are looking at in that portrait,” Mr Katter said. He paid special tribute to his wife Susie, describing her as the heart of their family and a driving force in his life. “Susie, who I have been madly in love with for 53 years… She took 12 acres of land that did not have a single tree upon it. It now has 1,200 native trees of all variety upon it. A loving wife. Five wonderful children. The girl was good. Real good.” Mr Katter also honoured the pioneers, pastoralists, and workers who shaped the Kennedy electorate and the nation. “This painting does not represent a bloke called Bob Katter. It represents the Charlie Macdonalds, the Dame Mary Gilmores, the Sir Hudson Fisches, the Ernest Henrys, and the Thiess brothers… It will also remember the Leichhardts, the Burke and Wills, the Gilberts, the Edmund Kennedys and all those great trailblazers that lost their lives exploring what Geoffrey Blainey called ‘A Land Half Won.’” He concluded his address with a heartfelt dedication to his late mother, “Every single act of my life has been an affirmation of my mother… So mum, your contribution to Australia is 33 great little Australians that will carry the banner forward. So, this is for you mum. And for all the other mums that have created our great nation.” ENDS

KENNEDY MP Bob Katter thanked the Federal Government, particularly Minister for Industry, Tim Ayres, for his announcement today, but he warned the $600 million over three years jointly funded investment was going to limp Mount Isa along till the next election. “We must put on record our appreciation of the involvement by the Minister. Robbie Katter said the Premier too has been helpful, but this game is not over. It is just starting. This proposal is a Band-Aid on a compound fracture. It might staunch the bleeding but it ain’t going to fix your leg. “We must thank all the people who came to our meetings and put shoulder to the wheel here. Thank you to all fighters for their role in achieving this stay of execution, particularly the Mayor of Mount Isa, Peta McRae, Townsville Enterprise Limited, CEO, Claudia Brunne Smith, Paul Farrow from the AWU, Maria James, CEO of MITEZ and all those other fighters who have not slept a wink over the past few months in their effort to save our town and Townsville’s industrial base. “To Glencore I say congratulations for out-negotiating not one government, but two. I take my hat off to them, these two governments have made a $600m bet that Queensland’s minerals economy is going to be much stronger by the time the next election comes around. How convenient. “Another phrase comes to mind. Danegeld. For those that aren’t familiar with this, it was a tax levied by the Anglo-Saxons to pay off Viking invaders of England. “We will eager learn more about this ‘transition authority’ they have proposed. “We are pleased to be fighting another day but are fired up by this decision and it has made us more aggressively and relentless on pursuing a reserve resource policy for gas. A $600 million Band-Aid is helpful, but we need an outcome that solves the source of the problem.” Mr Katter said he that he raised the issue with Minister Ayres when he visited his office late last night to discuss Mount Isa. “Look, I thank the federal Minister who really has been very good to deal with on the Mount Isa smelter, unless he makes Reserve Resource Policy his next item, we are doomed and Glencore will continue to seek bailouts, after bailouts, just as they did in 2016, 2020 and have again now.” ENDS i] https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-23/mount-isa-copper-smelter-life-renewed-operating-three-more-years/12639234

Bob discussed the gumtree movement on the latest episode of the Pub Test Podcast.

Image: Mr Katter in Canberra with his Chief of Staff, Kahla Kruger, and his Parliamentary Chief of Staff, Elise Nucifora

KAP Federal Member for Kennedy, Bob Katter has applauded the Albanese’s $1 billion “Future Made in Australia” biofuels announcement but said that successive former Labor and LNP Governments deserve the “cane” for failing to see the ethanol potential and letting oil companies run rampant around the country. “Prior to 1992, 98 percent of our fuel requirements were produced in Australia,” Mr Katter said. “Then Keating got control out from Hawke, and free marketed the Australian economy and it was like taking the steering wheel out of the car. The industry collapsed. Costello was just as much to blame. “For 20 years, both major parties have spat in the face of ethanol. They’ve ignored the farmers, ignored the mills, ignored the science. Now, with the stroke of a pen, they’ve suddenly found religion in biofuels. Well, it’s better late than never, and we thank them for their efforts here,” Mr Katter said. In the last parliamentary term, Mr Katter moved his Sovereign Fuel Security Bill, which would see Australia aim to become approximately 80 percent self-sufficient in fuel, reducing dependence on imports. He warned that without serious action, Australia’s fuel supply is vulnerable, fuel and fertiliser costs will remain crushing for farmers, and Australia’s industrial and regional communities will suffer. “Farmers are paying 100 percent increases on two major cost input items, fuel and fertiliser. Electricity has also gone up 300 percent. “You just can’t keep farming under these conditions; we must bring down fuel and fertiliser costs if farmers are to survive. "Ten hectares of sugar cane produces over 10,000 litres of ethanol, and for every hectare of cane planted, 72 ton of carbon dioxide is pulled from the atmosphere. This stuff is pure magic. We can replace imported oil with home-grown fuel, cut emissions, and build up regional economies all at once. “We need an enforceable ethanol mandate, not another round of studies and subsidies that vanish after the election. Every other major country on earth, including Brazil and the United States, mandate ethanol. So why are we the last? “We need ethanol, and we need it now. But we need to make sure we don’t see a repeat of the ethanol mandate in Queensland where none of the oil companies that owned the petrol stations provided the infrastructure needed to offer ethanol. It should be legislated that these service stations will need be retrofitted to have ethanol capability as part of any biofuel industry.” Mr Katter warned that Australia’s fuel storage supplies have diminished over the years which puts Australia at a national security risk, further demonstrating a sovereign fuel security necessity. “The Government has said we have 30 days fuel supply, but I don’t even think it will last three days if there’s a situation where our fuel trade pathways are cut off. We must have supply of electricity and fuel if we are to survive as a country.” “When the NRMA blew the whistle on this extraordinary situation, Angus Taylor under direction of his cabinet, put our fuel supplies in Texas, USA. I mean, how utterly absurd! That shows you the level of competence in our governments.” ENDS https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/labor-earmarks-11bn-for-future-made-in-australia-biofuels-industry/news-story/e24cf62bada7edf93fe5c32c57db1837 https://www.bobkatter.com.au/govts-inaction-on-fuel-security-leaves-australia-vulnerable https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-22/government-to-buy-fuel-secure-national-stockpile/12173276

KENNEDY MP, Bob Katter, has today penned and delivered letters to the Minister for Agriculture, Julie Collins, the Minister for Local Government and Emergency Management, Kristy McBain, and the Treasurer, Jim Chalmers, calling for urgent federal assistance to control the locust plague currently tearing through Queensland’s mid-west. Mr Katter said the outbreak is “decimating pastures and crops, piling new misery on producers who are still reeling from repeated natural disasters in recent years.” “In the Julia Creek floods of 2019, a hundred million dollars of federal funding may well have saved a thousand million dollars’ worth of cattle and maybe a hundred million a year in lost production,” Mr Katter said “It is a classic example of the adage “a stitch in time saves nine” and Government needs to return to the agility that it had in years past.” In his letter, Mr Katter stressed that local councils have sounded the alarm and urgently require additional resources to manage and contain the locust infestation. “This plague has caused widespread damage to grazing country and cropping areas. Our producers are already battling from floods, fires, and droughts. They cannot be left to shoulder this crisis on their own,” Mr Katter wrote. The correspondence calls for consideration of redirecting unspent funds from the 2019 North-West flood cattle disaster relief package, which Mr Katter says remain idle in Treasury. “Our understanding is that there was an underspend from the 2019 flood recovery program, and those leftover funds, which have been accruing interest, are still sitting in Treasury. We’re simply asking that, at the very least, this interest be made available to support councils and landholders in fighting the locust plague now, and to strengthen long-term weed and pest management,” Mr Katter said. The letter also pointed out that the Commonwealth has previously committed $20 million for pest and weed control in the south-west region and urged the Government to deliver an equivalent level of support for the North-West. Mr Katter said the Treasurer’s role would be central to any immediate solution. “Treasurer, your leadership and swift action will be vital in helping our communities manage this crisis and protect Queensland’s vital agricultural industry. Effective measures must be implemented without delay.” Mr Katter reiterated that the issue is time-critical, with the potential to wipe out productivity in one of the nation’s most important cattle and cropping regions.

Standing in front of the acid plant in Mount Isa, Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter and Queensland State Member for Traeger Robbie Katter threw their full support behind APLNG’s call for a domestic gas reserve policy, labelling the move “long overdue,” while taking aim at the Australian Energy Producers peak body for pushing to delay any action until 2031. “We’re selling our country’s gas for six cents a unit and buying it back for $16.60, how dumb are we?” Mr Katter said. “We don’t make money shipping it overseas. It’s time we stop exporting our energy advantage and start looking after our own people and industry.” APLNG’s support for a Reserve Resource Policy (RRP) marks a key moment of alignment between resource giants and the KAP, who have long warned that Australia’s failure to secure domestic energy supply would decimate critical regional industries. “Three-quarters of what you see in Mount Isa relies on gas for chemical production, for metals processing, for power. Without a reserve policy, three-quarters of this industry vanishes,” Mr Katter warned. Mr Katter recalled agreements made during his time in government, where gas was secured at $6 per unit for 25 years. But those contracts expired decades ago, and without a domestic reserve, Australians now pay nearly three times more to buy their own gas back from exporters. “We had a deal. We switched from gas to coal, locked in a price of $6 a unit. That deal’s long gone. Now, we’re paying $16.60 for our own gas. Meanwhile, Qatar earns $29 billion a year from gas exports. We export the same amount and get only $600 million. This is how dumb we are.” Mr Katter also raised concerns about the foreign ownership of major Australian assets, including ports and critical mining infrastructure. “Newcastle is owned by China. Mount Isa is owned by Zurich. Is there anything left that we actually own? If you’re going to sell your country off, at the very least, make sure we get a quid out of it.” The Katters are urging both federal and state governments to immediately implement a domestic gas reserve policy – not in 2031, but now – to protect Australian industry, regional jobs, and the nation’s energy security. ENDS