Media Release

Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter today rallied against changes to the voting system in the Senate as the Commonwealth Electoral Amendment Bill 2016 was debated in Parliament, saying it was a sneaky trick to ensure the major parties have all of the say.

The Bill was introduced into the Lower House on Monday, with the Government making no secret it is designed to reduce the number of minor parties in the Senate. The Bill reportedly has the support of the Greens and Senator Nick Xenophon.

“Everyone knows the major parties are controlled by the party machine, which is controlled by the major corporations,” Mr Katter said.

“The majority of the money coming into the ALP comes from big corporations, and that is even more true of the Liberal Party and their lapdogs the National Party.

“But what you’re watching here is the muzzling of the people.

“We are nearly the only country on earth that has the two-party system – but over 10% of the population do not want to vote for the mainstream parties, they are disenfranchised.

“I think people like Dio Wang, John Madigan, Glenn Lazarus, Ricky Muir and Jacqui Lambie are outstanding examples of independents and small parties who make a very valuable contribution.

“They vote, in my opinion, infinitely more intelligently than those in the mainstream major parties who have destroyed our economy with their fanatical free-marketism.

“They represent the people, the rest represent the ALP and LNP corporations.

“But they depend upon that 10% of the vote to get elected and it will now be removed – so over the next 10 years they too will be removed.

“And we will just have the two major parties and their lapdogs left – the Greens and the Nick Xenophons,” Mr Katter said.