Media Release

KAP Leader and Federal Member for Kennedy, has made a passionate plea
in the Australian Parliament, for the government to take urgent real action to address the immediate needs of graziers in North West Queensland.

“They (graziers) have got no money to feed their cattle,” said Mr Katter.
Graziers are enduring a perfect storm with the drought causing a rapid cash flow crisis and adding to the prevailing crippling rural debt.

“A grazier in Kennedy told me that by June next year, he will be sold up and that four of his neighbours will be bankrupt as well.

Mr Katter reiterated to the Australian Parliament that there are very grave consequences for failing to act for both animal welfare and to graziers’ mental health.

“In this place (Federal Parliament) we will cry and howl about whales.

“We will cry and howl about saving some animal out there, but we will not worry about a couple of hundred thousand cattle that are going to die very cruelly from malnutrition and starvation because their owners have no money to buy supplementary feed, which is necessary to keep them alive.

“Maybe 10,000 to 15,000 head of cattle are dying every week now.

“I would not have to tell you … what the ramifications are of people going out there with a gun to shoot their cattle and the dangers that involves,” said Mr Katter.

The calls for urgent assistance to graziers comes off the back of Mr Katter calling on the Prime Minister to immediately issue an apology to the Indonesian President and the Indonesian people regarding the alleged phone tapping incident, a condemnation of the Gillard Government live export ban actions and finally assurances of propriety in the future.

In an effort to undo the damage of the Gillard Government’s live cattle ban, Mr Katter has had a number of protracted talks with the Indonesian Ambassador, including escorting the Indonesian Ambassador and Embassy Officials to visit live export facilities and cattle stations in the Gulf of Carpentaria in July 2013.

Since talks began, Indonesia has scrapped its live cattle import quotas for cattle under 350kg and replaced this with a price based system; and increased the quota for ‘slaughter ready’ cattle.