Media Release

KENNEDY MP, Bob Katter said Australia had thrown all its eggs in the basket of the last dictatorship on earth, instead of developing the VIP markets (Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines) as well as Thailand and Taiwan - where there are nearly 700 million people living in those countries.

Mr Katter was responding to reports (ref: ABC 12/05/2020) China has delisted four Australian export abattoirs in Qld and northern NSW, amid escalating tensions between the two nations over the origins of the coronavirus crisis.

“We don’t want to fight, we want to trade with them (China), but we don’t want to be at their mercy,” he said.

“Australian farmers can’t offload their barley and beef to other countries because we simply haven’t developed the markets.”

Mr Katter said the escalation in trade tensions also exposed how reliant Australia is on Chinese manufacturing and goods for our essential services.

“We are a trading nation, we’ll trade with anyone, but the need to be self-sufficient is in flashing lights here,” he said.

“Essential services must be produced in a country or it gives away its sovereign power.”

The latest ABS International Trade data shows Australia imported 13.3 million solar panels from China last financial year, 88.3% of total solar panel imports.

Australia also imported 162,041 liquid pumps from China, which represented 42.4% of all liquid pumps imported.

Mr Katter said Australia wasn’t self-sufficient in any of the essential services like fuel, glass, motor cars, water and sewage pumps and electricity.

“You have got to be able to have your freedom, and you will not have your freedom if you’re totally dependant on another country for your lifestyle. The headache becomes infinitely worse when that country is China – the last powerful dictatorship on earth.”

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Reference: Sullivan, Kath. (2020) ‘Australian beef processors suspended in China trade escalation’, ABC Rural <https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2020-05-12/china-trade-escalation-as-beef-farmers-are-targeted/12237468> (Accessed 12/05/2020).