Media Release

KAP Leader and Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter and State Member for Mount Isa Rob Katter are outraged the Queensland Government has today flagged leasing assets rather than selling Queenslanders’ assets.

“The LNP government underestimates the people of Queensland. They will not fool the public into thinking that they still have control of the assets by leasing them; don’t insult our intelligence,” Bob Katter said.

“Leasing the assets is just the same as selling them, electricity prices will continue to skyrocket and it will be Queenslanders that will pay the ultimate cost.

"It is obvious as the sun rising they (the LNP) have made deals with corporations for the sale of these assets and receive generous donations from these corporations who are lining up to lease the assets.

“This is the dirtiest government in Queensland’s history coupled with a total inability to make a decision on anything,” Bob Katter said.

“In the 10 years before corporatisation our electricity prices were stable at $700 per year, after the government totally deregulated the industry prices rose dramatically to $2359 in 2014.

“With the leasing or sale of our electricity assets within two to four years we could see power bills rise upwards of $6000 a year.

“Queenslanders paid for power generators, transmission and distribution networks and it is our right to retain ownership of these assets,” Bob Katter said.

State Member for Mount Isa Rob Katter urged the people of Queensland to oppose the sale and leasing of our assets; stating ‘A vote for the LNP at the next State Election is a vote to sell off our assets’.

“The idea of long-term leasing our assets, speaks volumes they have tried selling the sale of our assets hard.

“The LNP State members and the Treasurer are pushing for the sale of the Rail Line and Townsville Port, so they can build a new sports stadium in Townsville. I don’t even know where to begin to describe the stupidity of this statement.

“If you corporatise or privatise an essential service, then you give to that corporation the right to tax you at whatever level they feel like – forever.

“The LNP State Government claims that there is too much debt and this stops them from building essential infrastructure.

“This assertion would have credibility if they hadn’t already started building a $675m brand new office tower for the Premier, committed to a $5 billion traffic tunnel in Brisbane and an $800 million program transitioning grade 7 out of primary school into high school.

“If the Government built CopperString (electricity to Mount Isa), a Railway line into the Galilee Basin and introduced ethanol in Qld they would have already created 50,000 jobs,” Robbie Katter said.