Media Release

KAP Leader and Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter today asked that people have faith in the banana industry and realise the potential case of Panama disease in North Queensland does not affect the fruit and has nothing to do with the health of people.

“We emphasise and re-emphaise that this disease has got nothing to do with health to people.

“I have every faith in our current industry leadership to overcome this potentially serious situation.

“But I do not have faith in the government of this country to ensure that the normal protections and protocols that apply in Australia are applied to products coming in from overseas.

“Here we are yet again with another outbreak of disease in Australia - we’ve had INHV on the Barrier Reef, papaya fruit fly, citrus canker, black sigatoka and blue tongue.

"These are just a few examples of the price we are paying for free trade fanaticism.

“My sense of screaming frustration at the ALP and LNP junta that runs Australia is that there is 100 per cent inspection of produce such as meat and of flowers going out of the country, but barely one percent inspection of products coming into the country.

“Outside of Europe and the North Americas, there would not be a single country that has anything like the hygiene and environmental standards that we have in Australia - and we might well be proud of such a regime.

“But we look like the most irresponsible of fools when a large proportion of our food product is coming in from countries that have virtually no health and environmental standards whatsoever.

“I pay tribute to our local banana farmers who have rallied for many years for no banana imports.”

Mr Katter said in the black sigatoka outbreak the industry had moved swiftly to quarantine the relevant area and eradicate the disease, which it had been said could not be eradicated.

“We did eradicate it and cleared the entire valley with some government assistance and extra excellent industry leadership.

"I again have every faith in our current industry leadership to deal with this outbreak.

“Again I emphasise that this potential outbreak has got nothing to do with health to people,” Mr Katter said.