Media Release

An amendment by Kennedy MP, Bob Katter, to immediately stop all foreign takeovers of Australian agricultural lands was voted down by Labor, Liberal and Nationals MPs in the House of Representatives this afternoon.

Katter’s Australian Party MP, Bob Katter, said he wasn’t shocked or surprised as the major parties had become addicted to foreign investment over the past two decades.

“Australia has a fight on its hands and the fact is the ALP and LNP sold our electricity network, the maintenance of our sewage and water supply, our farmland, strategic ports and water to the Chinese,” Mr Katter said.

“The history books will state that the major parties sold their country out. Today my amendments that the Government move to immediately stop all foreign takeovers of agricultural lands and place a ban on the acquisition of assets of strategic economic importance or strategic defensive importance to Australia, was voted down by Labor and the LNP.

“North Queenslanders should note that the Members for Leichhardt and Herbert voted to keep selling their country off. I thank my crossbench colleagues who had the guts to vote for Australia and our sovereignty.”
—ENDS—

Mr Katter’s Amendment to the Foreign Investment Reform (Protecting Australia’s National Security) Bill 2020.

I move an amendment:

That all words after "whilst" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words: "not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House calls on the Government to immediately stop all foreign takeovers of agricultural lands and place a ban on the acquisition of assets of strategic economic importance or strategic defensive importance to Australia".