Media Release

KAP Federal Member for Kennedy today voted in Parliament to protect jobs and the communities that depend on them by supporting Federal legislation that narrowly passed the House of Representatives by a single vote.

Mr Katter said the Fair Work Amendment (Transfer of Business) Bill 2012 was “an attempt to do something to help out in what is a callous and vicious situation in Queensland”.

“There can be no other reason why the Premier of Queensland would want to sack those people,” Mr Katter told Parliament. “You can get rid of people by a process of non-replacement.”

Mr Katter said non-replacement was the method used by Queensland’s Bjelke-Petersen government, in which he served as a minister.

“When you sack people, they lose their car. How would you like to be kicked out of your house because you cannot afford the rental in that house anymore and have to look for social welfare housing? In 20 per cent of cases, you would lose your family. In two per cent of cases, you suicide.

“I mean, why did the (Qld Government) do this? I just can’t come up with any other statement (but that) they’re trying to prove they’re tough.

“When you have to prove you are tough, there is something seriously wrong with you. And when you have to prove you are tough by breaking the hearts of 15,000 families in Queensland, there is a name for that… and it sure ain't tough.”

Mr Katter told the Parliament that his son, the State Member for Mount Isa Rob Katter, had also warned of the economic consequences of cutting spending in a fragile post-global financial crisis environment.

“Those people who are out there cheering and saying, 'Bewdy, we're getting rid of all these bludging public servants' are exactly the same people who, in four months time, are going to be checking their cash registers and whinging, crying and howling that they are in serious trouble and are going to want to lynch the Queensland Government.”

And the impact on business was already being evidenced in North Queensland business, warned Mr Katter, with one motelier having advised of a one-third loss in business.

“They just got a telephone call to cancel all government bookings for the next 12 months.”