Veteran Suicide Royal Commission will expose Chief failings

June 20, 2022

FLANKED by several war veterans, KAP Federal Member for Kennedy, Bob Katter, told media today after attending the morning session of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicides in Townsville that he hoped that the Royal Commission will be the launchpad for reform across the Defence Force and that he would like to see a variation of the Kapani Warrior program rolled out.


The Kapani Warrior program is headed up by veteran and psychologist, Tim White, and involves a three-month military training program that helps to overcome aggression, substance abuse and trauma.


“A warrant officer once said to me that when you exit the army, you lose your identity, your purpose in life, your income, your medical coverage, and as often as not, you also lose your real family as well. Also, you can’t get a job. Your pride is all but taken away because what has kept your head upright has been removed,” Mr Katter said.


“I think that people like retired Captain Tim White, who as I understand it will be coming before the hearings, has proven that there are answers out there with his Kapani Warrior program. While he has an awesome reputation for what he has accomplished with First Australians in the Cape, to me, this is where the answers lie but on a much bigger scale.”


The Royal Commission confirmed that many more suicides had been reported to them since the last Hearing was held and Mr Katter said it was reflection of the government and their continued failure to look after the people who lay down their lives to defend Australia.


He said the Chief of Defence needs to take responsibility for his actions when he fronts the Commission on Thursday and Friday this week.


“What tipped me over the edge on this issue was when I was down at the Bushland Beach Hotel and out of a couple of hundred people, I ran into nine people whose cousin/brother/sister had attempted or succeeded in committing suicide,” Mr Katter said. 


“I have religiously backed Heston Russel and Jacquie Lambie on this and helped organise the meetings in Townsville where around 2,000 people attended.

“I had been told a few months earlier that there had been 25 suicides in just 11 weeks and if this isn’t proof that the government is failing our great citizens who stand and defend our country with their lives, then I don’t know what is. 


“I would have spent hundreds of hours just listening and I think it is quite clear to me now the nature of the problem, and it starts and ends with the person on the top.


“The whole Inquiry has been pushed by people such as myself who think the person in charge is a reflection upon govt and are ashamed this person is still in a position of power.


“Angus Campbell, when he fronts the Commission this week, needs to answer media reports that allege some extraordinary claims that he had said that he wants half the front-line troops to be women to raise the intelligence of the soldiers, he also needs to address the claim that he has directed the entire armed forces not to use the word ‘kill’.


“He also stripped the citations from the SAS units for allegations of atrocities which who knows if they are unfounded or not.


“If these allegations are all untrue, this is the opportunity to come forward and deny them.


“A decent commander will always take responsibility for his actions. You are the Commander in Chief. You don’t blame your troops. But all this bloke has done is blame shift at every possible opportunity.”


Local veteran, Michael Wood, said that he was pleased the Royal Commission had been held in Townsville.


“This has been a long time coming and having it in Townsville, the biggest army town in Australia. Hopefully we can help the next generation coming through, " Mr Wood said.


“We are not going to stop the suicides, but we can slow it down and we need keep that mindset. Younger people are more open to expressing their feelings, but older people like myself will hide it. 


“You don't want to let your friends down. Trying to put up that wall and barrier that you are okay, you think you're doing your friends a service but it's only later that you realise you're doing them a disservice.”


Vietnam veteran, Bob Doyle, served in the 161 Recce Flight flanked Mr Katter at the press conference and commented on his experiences.


“The Royal Commission is so important for all the wars, going right through to what we have now. This is desperately needed. I have seen a number of things, but the younger blokes have seen so much more. They've got a lot more behind them.


“In my car transport service business, I knew and drove around a a young bloke who had fought in Afghanistan. He’d talk to me, and I like to look after him. He committed suicide. 


“I think you must look at everything here; the preparation for deployment and for what the soldier has when he comes home, that's something we didn't have and was desperately needed. 


“Had I gotten out (of the Defence Force) when I got home from Vietnam, I might have given up. But I stayed in for another 20 years. By the time I retired, I did come out with confidence, but many don't. 


“One of the biggest problems are that Commissions take time. But something has to be decided immediately here. We are losing too many lives. They must make a decision out of this so we can all move forward.” 

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Katter attends Remembrance Day Ingham Service

By Kahla Kruger • November 12, 2025
Yesterday, Hon Bob Katter MP was honoured to attend the commemorative service held by the Herbert River RSL Sub Branch in Ingham. In a moving gathering of veterans, families and community members, Mr Katter said together, they reflected on the service of our Anzacs and all those who have served our nation. "Thank you to everyone who attended the Ingham service with me yesterday in honour of our veterans," Mr Katter said. "Also, a big thank you to the Herbert River RSL Sub Branch in Ingham for organising another wonderful, dignified and respectful event." In recent years, Bob Katter has consistently emphasised the importance of remembering the sacrifices made by our servicemen and women. He has urged that our returned veterans be afforded dignity and fair treatment. “Remembrance Day and ANZAC Day are both timely reminders for veterans, their families and for the general public to acknowledge the sacrifices that Australians have made, and continue to make, for our country. At the Ingham service, Bob Katter reaffirmed his commitment to supporting our veterans and ensuring their sacrifice is never forgotten. He acknowledged the courage of those who have served, the ongoing service of the RSL branches and the vital role of community remembrance. The Office of Bob Katter MP looks forward to continuing to work with local RSL branches and veterans’ organisations across North Queensland to honour our uniformed service – past and present. ENDS

Bush Battles, big dreams, and a mother’s legacy: The story behind Katter’s portrait

By Kahla Kruger • November 9, 2025
KAP Member for Kennedy, Bob Katter MP, was formally honoured last week with the unveiling of his official portrait in Parliament House in Canberra. The work, painted by renowned Australian artist David Darcy, joins the collection of portraits of former Prime Ministers, Speakers, Governor Generals and a small handful of others who have made a significant contribution to the nation. Mr Katter used the occasion to pay tribute not only to his family and colleagues but to the generations of Australians whose resilience and ingenuity built the country. “This is not a painting of ‘a person’ and I hope nobody sees it that way,” Mr Katter said. “It’s recognition of people that have very strong feelings about this country, to make it a land of opportunity, to have the same wonderful opportunities that I and most of my generation enjoyed.” In his speech, Mr Katter thanked Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Speaker of the House Milton Dick, and acknowledged his long-standing friendship since entering Parliament with the Prime Minister, as well as the Speaker’s Charters Towers family connection. “I have been good friends with Anthony. Always liked the bloke since we first went into Parliament together. Albo, we’ve had words in the past, but whatever your shortcomings may be, I consider you a good friend,” Mr Katter said. He also recognised the work of Queensland grazier Russell Lethbridge and the Prime Minister in progressing the long-envisioned inland highway linking Far North Queensland to Melbourne. “That great inland highway will be completed within two and a half years, and I want to put on public record, thank you to both Russell Lethbridge and yourself, PM,” he said. Reflecting on his early political influences, Mr Katter paid tribute to both former Prime Minister John Howard and his own mentors, Sir Leo Hielscher, Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen and Lady Pearl Logan. “I was and still am a great admirer of John Howard… But I appreciate Anthony Albanese – who like John Howard, is just an ordinary Australian,” he said. “With the superstars that I had the honour of working with… Leo and Joe, Queensland became the biggest coal exporting state on earth.” The Kennedy MP also reflected on his deep North Queensland roots, recounting stories of family service and sacrifice through war and hard work. “If you add a kid who was born at the end of the Second World War - a kid that knows his family lost a son at Gallipoli and another at Changi, then you understand what you are looking at in that portrait,” Mr Katter said. He paid special tribute to his wife Susie, describing her as the heart of their family and a driving force in his life. “Susie, who I have been madly in love with for 53 years… She took 12 acres of land that did not have a single tree upon it. It now has 1,200 native trees of all variety upon it. A loving wife. Five wonderful children. The girl was good. Real good.” Mr Katter also honoured the pioneers, pastoralists, and workers who shaped the Kennedy electorate and the nation. “This painting does not represent a bloke called Bob Katter. It represents the Charlie Macdonalds, the Dame Mary Gilmores, the Sir Hudson Fisches, the Ernest Henrys, and the Thiess brothers… It will also remember the Leichhardts, the Burke and Wills, the Gilberts, the Edmund Kennedys and all those great trailblazers that lost their lives exploring what Geoffrey Blainey called ‘A Land Half Won.’” He concluded his address with a heartfelt dedication to his late mother, “Every single act of my life has been an affirmation of my mother… So mum, your contribution to Australia is 33 great little Australians that will carry the banner forward. So, this is for you mum. And for all the other mums that have created our great nation.” ENDS

“Band-Aid on a compound fracture” Long term pain, short term gain as Isa survives Glencore-doomsday

By Kahla Kruger • October 8, 2025
KENNEDY MP Bob Katter thanked the Federal Government, particularly Minister for Industry, Tim Ayres, for his announcement today, but he warned the $600 million over three years jointly funded investment was going to limp Mount Isa along till the next election. “We must put on record our appreciation of the involvement by the Minister. Robbie Katter said the Premier too has been helpful, but this game is not over. It is just starting. This proposal is a Band-Aid on a compound fracture. It might staunch the bleeding but it ain’t going to fix your leg. “We must thank all the people who came to our meetings and put shoulder to the wheel here. Thank you to all fighters for their role in achieving this stay of execution, particularly the Mayor of Mount Isa, Peta McRae, Townsville Enterprise Limited, CEO, Claudia Brunne Smith, Paul Farrow from the AWU, Maria James, CEO of MITEZ and all those other fighters who have not slept a wink over the past few months in their effort to save our town and Townsville’s industrial base. “To Glencore I say congratulations for out-negotiating not one government, but two. I take my hat off to them, these two governments have made a $600m bet that Queensland’s minerals economy is going to be much stronger by the time the next election comes around. How convenient. “Another phrase comes to mind. Danegeld. For those that aren’t familiar with this, it was a tax levied by the Anglo-Saxons to pay off Viking invaders of England. “We will eager learn more about this ‘transition authority’ they have proposed. “We are pleased to be fighting another day but are fired up by this decision and it has made us more aggressively and relentless on pursuing a reserve resource policy for gas. A $600 million Band-Aid is helpful, but we need an outcome that solves the source of the problem.” Mr Katter said he that he raised the issue with Minister Ayres when he visited his office late last night to discuss Mount Isa. “Look, I thank the federal Minister who really has been very good to deal with on the Mount Isa smelter, unless he makes Reserve Resource Policy his next item, we are doomed and Glencore will continue to seek bailouts, after bailouts, just as they did in 2016, 2020 and have again now.” ENDS i] https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-23/mount-isa-copper-smelter-life-renewed-operating-three-more-years/12639234

Katter's Pub Test Podcast - Episode 3

By Kahla Kruger • October 2, 2025
Bob discussed the gumtree movement on the latest episode of the Pub Test Podcast.

Katter flys to Canberra for urgent crisis talks

By Kahla Kruger • October 2, 2025
Image: Mr Katter in Canberra with his Chief of Staff, Kahla Kruger, and his Parliamentary Chief of Staff, Elise Nucifora

Successive governments deserve the cane after 20 years of ethanol ignorance

By Kahla Kruger • September 18, 2025
KAP Federal Member for Kennedy, Bob Katter has applauded the Albanese’s $1 billion “Future Made in Australia” biofuels announcement but said that successive former Labor and LNP Governments deserve the “cane” for failing to see the ethanol potential and letting oil companies run rampant around the country. “Prior to 1992, 98 percent of our fuel requirements were produced in Australia,” Mr Katter said. “Then Keating got control out from Hawke, and free marketed the Australian economy and it was like taking the steering wheel out of the car. The industry collapsed. Costello was just as much to blame. “For 20 years, both major parties have spat in the face of ethanol. They’ve ignored the farmers, ignored the mills, ignored the science. Now, with the stroke of a pen, they’ve suddenly found religion in biofuels. Well, it’s better late than never, and we thank them for their efforts here,” Mr Katter said. In the last parliamentary term, Mr Katter moved his Sovereign Fuel Security Bill, which would see Australia aim to become approximately 80 percent self-sufficient in fuel, reducing dependence on imports. He warned that without serious action, Australia’s fuel supply is vulnerable, fuel and fertiliser costs will remain crushing for farmers, and Australia’s industrial and regional communities will suffer. “Farmers are paying 100 percent increases on two major cost input items, fuel and fertiliser. Electricity has also gone up 300 percent. “You just can’t keep farming under these conditions; we must bring down fuel and fertiliser costs if farmers are to survive. "Ten hectares of sugar cane produces over 10,000 litres of ethanol, and for every hectare of cane planted, 72 ton of carbon dioxide is pulled from the atmosphere. This stuff is pure magic. We can replace imported oil with home-grown fuel, cut emissions, and build up regional economies all at once. “We need an enforceable ethanol mandate, not another round of studies and subsidies that vanish after the election. Every other major country on earth, including Brazil and the United States, mandate ethanol. So why are we the last? “We need ethanol, and we need it now. But we need to make sure we don’t see a repeat of the ethanol mandate in Queensland where none of the oil companies that owned the petrol stations provided the infrastructure needed to offer ethanol. It should be legislated that these service stations will need be retrofitted to have ethanol capability as part of any biofuel industry.” Mr Katter warned that Australia’s fuel storage supplies have diminished over the years which puts Australia at a national security risk, further demonstrating a sovereign fuel security necessity. “The Government has said we have 30 days fuel supply, but I don’t even think it will last three days if there’s a situation where our fuel trade pathways are cut off. We must have supply of electricity and fuel if we are to survive as a country.” “When the NRMA blew the whistle on this extraordinary situation, Angus Taylor under direction of his cabinet, put our fuel supplies in Texas, USA. I mean, how utterly absurd! That shows you the level of competence in our governments.” ENDS https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/labor-earmarks-11bn-for-future-made-in-australia-biofuels-industry/news-story/e24cf62bada7edf93fe5c32c57db1837 https://www.bobkatter.com.au/govts-inaction-on-fuel-security-leaves-australia-vulnerable https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-22/government-to-buy-fuel-secure-national-stockpile/12173276

Katter urges Government to redivert leftover 2019 cattle flood disaster funds to combat devastating locust plague

By Kahla Kruger • September 9, 2025
KENNEDY MP, Bob Katter, has today penned and delivered letters to the Minister for Agriculture, Julie Collins, the Minister for Local Government and Emergency Management, Kristy McBain, and the Treasurer, Jim Chalmers, calling for urgent federal assistance to control the locust plague currently tearing through Queensland’s mid-west. Mr Katter said the outbreak is “decimating pastures and crops, piling new misery on producers who are still reeling from repeated natural disasters in recent years.” “In the Julia Creek floods of 2019, a hundred million dollars of federal funding may well have saved a thousand million dollars’ worth of cattle and maybe a hundred million a year in lost production,” Mr Katter said “It is a classic example of the adage “a stitch in time saves nine” and Government needs to return to the agility that it had in years past.” In his letter, Mr Katter stressed that local councils have sounded the alarm and urgently require additional resources to manage and contain the locust infestation. “This plague has caused widespread damage to grazing country and cropping areas. Our producers are already battling from floods, fires, and droughts. They cannot be left to shoulder this crisis on their own,” Mr Katter wrote. The correspondence calls for consideration of redirecting unspent funds from the 2019 North-West flood cattle disaster relief package, which Mr Katter says remain idle in Treasury. “Our understanding is that there was an underspend from the 2019 flood recovery program, and those leftover funds, which have been accruing interest, are still sitting in Treasury. We’re simply asking that, at the very least, this interest be made available to support councils and landholders in fighting the locust plague now, and to strengthen long-term weed and pest management,” Mr Katter said. The letter also pointed out that the Commonwealth has previously committed $20 million for pest and weed control in the south-west region and urged the Government to deliver an equivalent level of support for the North-West. Mr Katter said the Treasurer’s role would be central to any immediate solution. “Treasurer, your leadership and swift action will be vital in helping our communities manage this crisis and protect Queensland’s vital agricultural industry. Effective measures must be implemented without delay.” Mr Katter reiterated that the issue is time-critical, with the potential to wipe out productivity in one of the nation’s most important cattle and cropping regions.

Katter Applauds APLNG Backing for Gas Reserve Policy, Slams Industry Opposition

By Kahla Kruger • September 1, 2025
Standing in front of the acid plant in Mount Isa, Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter and Queensland State Member for Traeger Robbie Katter threw their full support behind APLNG’s call for a domestic gas reserve policy, labelling the move “long overdue,” while taking aim at the Australian Energy Producers peak body for pushing to delay any action until 2031. “We’re selling our country’s gas for six cents a unit and buying it back for $16.60, how dumb are we?” Mr Katter said. “We don’t make money shipping it overseas. It’s time we stop exporting our energy advantage and start looking after our own people and industry.” APLNG’s support for a Reserve Resource Policy (RRP) marks a key moment of alignment between resource giants and the KAP, who have long warned that Australia’s failure to secure domestic energy supply would decimate critical regional industries. “Three-quarters of what you see in Mount Isa relies on gas for chemical production, for metals processing, for power. Without a reserve policy, three-quarters of this industry vanishes,” Mr Katter warned. Mr Katter recalled agreements made during his time in government, where gas was secured at $6 per unit for 25 years. But those contracts expired decades ago, and without a domestic reserve, Australians now pay nearly three times more to buy their own gas back from exporters. “We had a deal. We switched from gas to coal, locked in a price of $6 a unit. That deal’s long gone. Now, we’re paying $16.60 for our own gas. Meanwhile, Qatar earns $29 billion a year from gas exports. We export the same amount and get only $600 million. This is how dumb we are.” Mr Katter also raised concerns about the foreign ownership of major Australian assets, including ports and critical mining infrastructure. “Newcastle is owned by China. Mount Isa is owned by Zurich. Is there anything left that we actually own? If you’re going to sell your country off, at the very least, make sure we get a quid out of it.” The Katters are urging both federal and state governments to immediately implement a domestic gas reserve policy – not in 2031, but now – to protect Australian industry, regional jobs, and the nation’s energy security. ENDS

Katter's Chiefs Launch Weekly Wrap and Mini-Pods

By Kahla Kruger • August 27, 2025
The weekly summaries include the legislative and policy movements within Parliament as well as happenings around the electorate and Bob's position on the big issues facing Australia. KATTER’S CHIEFS WEEKLY WRAP AUSTRALIA’S DEPENDENCE ON FUEL IMPORTS MUST STOP We must build Australian oil refineries and convert our sugar mills to produce ethanol Our fuel can, and should, be made in Australia and affordable. πŸŒΎβ›οΈ 🚫 STOP YOUR STUPID ADS AND FIX OUR FRI#^*N MOBILE RECEPTION 🚫 Our regions are being DISCONNECTED due to a bungled 3G to 5G switchover. Telstra has an UNIVERSAL SERVICE OBLIGATION. So, stop spending millions on stupid ads and deliver this essential service!!!! πŸ₯πŸ‡¦πŸ‡Ί MIGRATION MUST STOP πŸ‡¦πŸ‡ΊπŸ₯ March on 31 August, not because of hate, but because we LOVE our country. All future migrants MUST VALUE the Australian way of life and belief system. πŸ’°BANKING BANDITS ABANDON THE NORTH πŸ’° Closures of Bendigo Bank branches at Tully and Malanda are a devastating blow. WE MUST KEEP OUR BANKING SERVICES, PROVIDING A PEOPLES BANK AT POST OFFICES. πŸ₯³πŸŽ‚ Happy Birthday, Karl Stefanovic πŸŽ‚ πŸ₯³ Karl’s a Crack Clay Shot and a good bloke. πŸ₯β›οΈπŸ€ πŸŒΎ 🍻 HUGHENDEN, JULIA CREEK - LANDS OF OPPORTUNITY Yarns with salt of the earth legends who are the true meaning of “community”. πŸ’πŸ’80TH ANNIVERSARY OF VICTORY IN THE PACIFICπŸ’πŸ’ We MUST NOT forget. We must teach in our schools the stories of the people that died to prevent the invasion of their country.

Katter Pays Tribute to Sir Leo Hielscher Ahead of State Funeral: “One of the Architects of the Queensland Miracle”

By Kahla Kruger • August 27, 2025
Federal Member for Kennedy, Bob Katter has today paid tribute to the late Sir Leo Hielscher in the Federation Chamber of Parliament, ahead of the revered public servant’s state funeral to be held in Brisbane tomorrow. “Queensland was once the Cinderella state of Australia,” Mr Katter said. “We had virtually no coalmining, very little mineral wealth, few cattle, we had nothing. And then Joh Bjelke-Petersen became Premier, with Sir Leo Hielscher by his side, the transformation began.” Mr Katter credited Hielscher’s leadership and bold economic vision as the catalyst for Queensland becoming the world’s largest coal-exporting region, a global copper and aluminium powerhouse, and home to quadrupled agricultural output. “These were men who strained every nerve, muscle and sinew to build a better life for Queenslanders. That's how they were driven, not to save the planet or for some other ideological pursuit—which future generations will laugh at on a grand scale. No; these people were serious people.” In Parliament, Mr Katter recalled the visionary infrastructure programs driven by Hielscher, including massive investments in coal ports, railway lines, and power stations. “They built the biggest power station in the world at Gladstone and fuelled it with free coal. That gave us the cheapest electricity on Earth, and one of the biggest aluminium industries on Earth.” Reflecting on Sir Leo’s legacy, Katter said: “Public servants, normally, are bad. They do terrible things; they stop anything from happening and they make our lives miserable. There are very rare exceptions; Leo Hielscher was one of them. He made things happen. Two of the six biggest bridges in Australia are named after him, and rightly so.” In September 2023, Mr Katter had the privilege of tabling in Parliament Sir Leo Hielscher’s blueprint to achieve “the Australian Dream”, The Great Queensland Dividing Range Scheme, to irrigate and flourish inland Australia and make these communities rich and diverse in their productivity. “These were truly great men. These were men of freedom, vision and action. If you went in there with some restrictions and petty little rules and regulations, you would have been laughed out of their offices. Sir Leo Hielscher leaves behind an extraordinary legacy one that built modern Queensland.” ENDS