Media Release

KAP Leader and Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter has today written to the Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the National Party Warren Truss asking him to support Australian agriculture and our economy by introducing policies similar to the UK where Government food tenders go to Australian producers and farmers.

“Mr Truss should be following his distant British namesake Elizabeth Truss and direct the Government to buy locally.

“According to the Department of Finance figures published in 2012 over two thirds of all food and drinks bought for the Australian Government run institutions are from overseas.

“The Government should award tenders for food contracts in our hospitals, schools, jails and defence forces to Australian farmers and producers,” Mr Katter said.

Elizabeth Truss British Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs together with British Prime Minister David Cameron have announced ‘A plan for Public Procurement – enabling a healthy future for our people, farmers and food producers’ – a policy which directs all government procurement to buy local food for government facilities.

Mr Katter has highlighted the British and American example where each country is looking after its own people, agricultural industry and economy first - instead of following Free Trade and WTO agreements.

“The LNP/ALP Government that runs Australia tells us that we are bound by international agreements.

"In America in the steel, aluminium, ship building and sugar industry - they treat the Free Trade Agreements and WTO in its entirety; with absolute contempt.

“Britain is in a complete violation of EU agreements - to always take the lowest tender regardless of European Nation of origin- is now treating this, the tightest of agreements, with absolute contempt.

“We have been snake charmed into believing Free Trade is good for us. When nobody else is doing it, it is economic hari kari.

“The call of ‘wake up Australia’ needs to be heard,” he said.

Mr Katter has pointed to the significant economic benefits of following a local tender policy for food contracts in our hospitals, schools, jails and defence forces to Australian farmers and producers.

“In Britain this is equal to almost $400 million pound a year extra spent on local farmers and producers – equivalent to almost $800 million Australian.” 

Mr Katter has supported the move by Union and Producer groups to lobby the Government to ‘buy local’. Earlier this week Mr Katter submitted a Question With Notice to the Agriculture Minister highlighting the current and future situation facing Australia’s agricultural and food processing industry, unless immediate action is taken.

PHOTO: Mr Katter with his trademark Akubra - Australian agriculture and food producers – on the brink of collapse.