Media Release

KAP Leader and Federal Member for Kennedy, Bob Katter has today expressed his disgust at the LNP Government delaying the decision to sell off Kidman and Co to the Chinese until after the likely Federal election on July 2. He has warned Australians the LNP will sell off our country – the question is ‘will it be before or after an election?’

“The Government can ‘kid’ some of the people some of the time. They can ‘kid’ some of the people all of the time. They can ’kid’ all of the people some of the time but they can’t ’kid’ all of the people, all of the time!” Mr Katter said.

It was reported today Treasurer Scott Morrison has avoided making an election issue of the Kidman & Co cattle empire sale to the Chinese by delaying the decision until after the election. The $371 million sale of Kidman & Co cattle empire in the N.T equates to roughly 1.3 per cent of Australia’s total land mass.

Mr Katter said, “Anyone who would accept this cynical maneuver by Scott Morrison is not a patriotic Australian. You absolutely know the Government is going to flog off a giant pastoral area in the Northern Territory to the Chinese.

Why did foreign powers in the forties try and invade us, when you can just simply buy us? And the LNP and ALP are selling us very cheaply.”

Mr Katter recalls a front page of the Australian Financial Review last November as a canary in the coal mine for Chinese buy of Australian agribusiness:

“On the front page of the Fin Review (9 Nov 2015) there’s Josh Frydenberg with the Chinese port owner handing out $5 billion, ‘Foreign investors tempted with $5b Top End development loans’ was the heading.

Please… fellow Australians wake up and stand up. The LNP and ALP are selling out your country from underneath you. You will have no resources that can earn you any money and you will be under the iron fist of Chinese corporations, almost all of who are controlled by the Chinese Government.

Anyone who thinks the Kidman purchase is where it‘ll be stopping, believes in the tooth fairy.”

##ENDS##