Media Release

KAP Member for Kennedy would like to remind people that the last disclosure of foreign ownership released by the Government in 2013 showed 12.4 per cent foreign ownership of all agricultural land.

Mr Katter said, “The 2013 report said 12.4 per cent so we’ve had an increase to 13.6. Over the next 20 years most of Australia’s farmland will be foreign owned. Nearly a 1.2 per cent increase in two years.”

Mr Katter does not think the findings of the report tell a story of modesty as some elements of the Government are trying to frame it, “30 per cent of NTs farmland is foreign owned, 22 per cent of Tassie – that’s extraordinary!

“Forget about your grandkids getting on to the land, that can’t happen, they can’t compete. In most of these countries buying into Australia, they can borrow money at 2.5 to 3.5 per cent. In Australia, it is impossible to borrow money for agriculture for less than 8 per cent, which gives our competitors a massive advantage.”

Mr Katter thinks it is irrelevant if the UK, US or China own more of Australia, “Ted Theodore’s Government took all the land off our British Landlords and Masters and parcelled it out to Queenslanders both in the sugar industry and in the cattle industry. He was known as “Red Ted”

“With Australian owner operators, owning and working their own land, Australia’s production went through the roof and in fact the sugar industry rescued Australia from the Great Depression.

“Robert Ardrey’s landmark books show the enormous benefits for owner operator agriculture compared with the land being owned by Corporate Absentees.

“We ran out entire campaign on Australia “Not for Sale” and got a near record for majority in the Kennedy Electorate. There is a message there for our politicians, and politics seems to be the only language they understand.”

##ENDS##