FOR decades, Bob Katter, Federal Member for Kennedy has led the charge in the fight for Australian ports; particularly those of strategic importance, to remain in Australian hands.
One such port is the Port of Darwin which continues to operate under the control of the Chinese after the NT Government made a deal in 2015 to lease the Port for 99 years to Chinese company Landbridge for $506 million.
“A people without land will search for a land without people,” Mr Katter said.
“China might feel singled out but that’s not the point. It’s not anti-Chinese. It’s against foreign ownership.
“Anyone that would give away their only ‘non-coal loading’ Panamax port in the northern half of the continent to a foreign power has committed treason,” he said.
“We have no right to hold our country if we don’t use it.
“We are not using it in any way, shape or form except to rape the mineral resources, and I use the word rape because we are getting little to no benefit out of those mineral resources.
“We get nothing out of the natural gas, which is now almost as big as coal.”
“This government seems to hold the concept that we need foreign capital,” Mr Katter said.
“The politicians count for very little, and they constantly and continually promote this appalling piece of ignorance that we must rely on foreign capital for development when we have the superannuation funds readily available."
ENDS
Photos supplied by Scott Radford-Chisholm in Townsville.