Media Release

KAP Member for Kennedy, Bob Katter is supporting Cairns MP Rob Pyne’s promise to table a bill for a State Insurance Office for Queensland if re-elected, echoing the key recommendation that came from Mr Katter’s public meetings on the issue where close to 1000 North Queenslanders attended to voice their concerns over home insurance premium rises in Nth Qld.

Mr Katter said, “We will be backing Pyney to the hilt. Major parties have no intention of doing anything.”

Mr Katter’s comments come after revelations in the media of large donations made by the insurance industry to the Liberal Party, National Party and Labor Party.

Mr Katter said, “Every Member of Parliament from Nth Qld regardless of what party they’re in should vote for it and if they don’t, we’ll be giving the people signs for the next election that say ‘don’t vote for those who did not vote for Nth Qld on insurance.’

“Close to 1000 people attended the meetings in Edmonton and Innisfail the year before last where the most vitally important point to come out of it was to set up a State Insurance Office.

“We argued the case before two Treasurers. We had the CEO of the Insurance Council of Australia come up for these meetings in Nth Qld. We had discussions with three insurance companies about the possibility of having a special Nth Qld contract underwritten by the Qld and or Federal governments.

“The figures would indicate 100 to 300 per cent difference between Northern insurance premiums and Southern insurance premiums.

“And we said for the millionth time, the houses that are gullible in a cyclone have all gone. The extensive, intensive, destructive ambit of Larry and Yasi has taken out almost every home built before the Cyclone Tracy code came in. The houses that are there withstood two devastating cyclones and they most certainly will withstand the next one.

“Insurance actuaries look backwards. Professional practice does not allow them to look forward.

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