Media Release

KAP Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter delivered a scathing attack against the State judicial system today when the Supreme Court ruled against a delegation of over 1300 taxi plaintiffs seeking compensation from the Queensland Government for eroding the value of taxi licences when they legalised ride sharing in 2016.

The Closed Action case was submitted to the Brisbane Supreme Court in March last year and the decision which was handed down this morning ruled in favour of the State Government; a move which Mr Katter slams as being the most recent example in an “accumulating pool of evidence that the State justice system serves their masters.”

“I’ve received calls from many constituents who believe that the justice system just feel like they are part of the government, and saying this exposes me to great criticism, but I don’t make these statements without being able to back them up,” Mr Katter told media in Townsville.

“Over 1300 cabbies personally put in a thousand dollars each to fight against the Queensland Government for giving them a property right and then taking it away. I personally told them that we would not win this case in Queensland, history records case after case after case where they rule in favour of the Government.

“Pauline Hanson’s case was one of the most appalling cases in the history of the State – it was just political imprisonment and there was not a single respective justice person that agreed with that case – but Hanson’s was overturned at the Appeals Court.

“In the extraordinary case with Dan McDonald who fed his starving cattle grass – which they call mulga trees – and was fined $250k – his appeal was overturned.
“In Pell’s case the State Court was presented with 80 people saying he couldn’t have done it, and one saying that he did. They led a persecution of him, threw him in jail and then the High Court overturned it.

“In the outrageous case of defamation against me, four Justices in the State Court found against me. When we got to the High Court they humiliated the opposition 9/0 and threw the case out with a very stern caution.

“So it would appear to me that once again our faith in the system has been shaken and you’re now shaking the pillar upon which our democracy and freedoms were built. Once again the Governments have served the interests of big corporations and just walked all over the top of ordinary Australians.

“As a result of these cases, the ordinary person could justifiably believe on this basis that State Courts serve their masters – the government. I’m inclined to agree. It’s just another classic example where the people that are supposed to be looking after us are not on our side, they represent the interests of the stinking rich.”

Mr Katter said that the taxi owners had never said they wanted ride share banned, but was seeking compensation from the State Government for hanging them out to dry.

According to a Cairns taxi owner, prior to ride sharing being allowed in Australia, taxi licenses were valued at over $500,000 and a number of drivers are repaying bank loans to cover that expense.

Since ride sharing, the value has declined to around $100,000 – leaving almost a $400,000 abyss in the loan repayments.

It must not be forgotten that the angst, and other lenders, are unforgiving and these poor people are now at their mercy.

He warned that the accumulating evidence over recent years demonstrated a pattern of behaviour of State Justices that was “very unpleasant.”

“The complete underpinning of our democratic rights, the separation of powers, just doesn’t exist. Each of those cases and today’s ruling proves that again and again.

“2000 taxi owners owned a property right created by the State Government, got us to pay that money for the property right and then took it away and now half the taxi owners have mortgaged their houses or foreclosed, I have no idea how many are homeless, suffering deep depression or how many suicides there have been – but this is the ugly reality of this decision.

“So, while these guys are copping it today, I warn you guys will get your turn.”

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