Media Release

In the wake of racial street clashes last week and continuing disharmony, Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter said today that there would be much reduced disharmony if the ALP and LNP faced up to their financial responsibilities regarding immigration and the pressure being placed on the Australian welfare system.

“The Government’s own figures show 600,000 people a year* coming into an economy that is only creating 200,000 jobs a year. In addition there are 220,000 extra Australian job seekers each year (the vast bulk being school leavers),” Mr Katter said.

“That’s 800,000 people chasing only 200,000 jobs. Clearly, 600,000 more welfare recipients are created each year by the most grossly irresponsible of policies.

“If the average welfare is over $20,000 per year (with free health system, free education and ever escalating rent subsidies) that is $12,000 million a year the tax payers of Australia have to find.

“That is $12,000 million the Government is charging the Australian taxpayers to impress the United Nations or to placate some voters in Western Sydney. They like to tell everybody they’re goody goody two shoes, whilst at the same time they’re talking of taxing food and going to the doctor – a tax which falls by far and away on poor people.

“That is $12,000 million in a country going broke. With the addition of those that come over the next four years it will be taking 10% of the entire tax revenue of Australia.

“They often work for nothing, but it’s the Australians that are pushed onto the dole queue,” Mr Katter said.

Mr Katter said that as soon as Parliament resumed he would be moving a resolution that annual visa levels (people given a permit to come to Australia) be aligned with jobs growth.

He said that the Australian economy was going to be shattered by coal seam gas and iron ore moving out of their development phase, shedding 30,000 jobs. The closure of the motor vehicle industry would lose nearly 60,000 jobs and the ultimatums by the steel, aluminum and fertiliser industries that unless there was a reserve resource policy on gas and restoration of cost only electricity, would see another 100,000 jobs lost.

Mr Katter said today that the ALP and LNP always seemed to be generous at world Government conferences but did not seem to worry much about pleasing ordinary people in Australia who could not meet cost of living.

“People say Australians won’t work. But it’s funny how they were all working 17 years ago before this gross irresponsibility started,” Mr Katter said.

*Government’s own published statistics show:

Migration program– 209,000 people

Section 457 visas – over 130,000 people

Student visas – 259,000 people