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.” 



– ENDS –

 

 

Katter warns PM and Premier: Fail Isa, fail the nation

By Rachelle Ambrum • July 3, 2025
Federal Member for Kennedy, Bob Katter, today visited Mount Isa, a city built on mining and industrial manufacturing, as its people face the grim reality of a slow-motion industrial collapse 20 years in the making off the back of Glencore's threat of imminent closure should they fail to get a "government bailout". Mr Katter spoke directly with residents, many of whom have spent generations working in the mines, smelters, and refineries that once defined Australia's critical mineral capacity. "For decades, governments in this country have taken our mineral processing for granted, and at the same time Glencore has made short-term self-serving decisions on investment and energy that created risks for the entire country," Mr Katter said. "The Mount Isa-Townsville industrial complex is not just important; it is the most important manufacturing production line in this nation. It is the only place in Australia where copper ore from across Queensland and beyond can be turned into usable copper – the copper that builds your homes, powers your electrical infrastructure, underpins weapons manufacturing, and drives the computers and technology that hold our country together. "Yet governments have sat idly by while Glencore has been allowed to gain complete control over Australia's most valuable industrial asset, and they've made some disastrous decisions that are biting them and risking Australia's minerals production. And now, with copper prices strong, demand rising, and the world screaming for critical minerals, our processing capacity is being shuttered. "For 20 years, governments and Ministers have come to Mount Isa for their photo opportunities, promised cheaper power, more competitive markets, and finally, CopperString. But every announcement has been just that – words and no action, and they've left every major decision up to a ruthless multinational trading company that is now threatening to walk," Mr Katter said.

Reserve gas policy welcome, but Mount Isa/Cloncurry still on the brink

By Rachelle Ambrum • July 2, 2025
"A devil is often in the detail – and we haven't seen that yet with this proposed review into the East Coast Gas Reservation scheme. While this announcement appears to be very positive, it may change, and my position may change on it," Mr Katter said. Mr Katter warned the energy crisis facing Mount Isa was "absolutely critical", and said the town is not connected to the national electricity grid and relies entirely on gas for electricity, chemical production and industry operations. "The copper smelter, the copper operations, the dozen copper mines, the silver-lead-zinc plant, make Mount Isa the third biggest industrial centre in this country, just behind Newcastle and Gladstone," he said. "The complete collapse of Mount Isa's industrial base was imminent last week. The dominoes were already falling. Mount Isa pulls 3,000 jobs directly out of Townsville and fuels billions in industrial exports. If it goes under, it's not just a local issue – it's a national one." Mr Katter said he sent a blunt letter to both the Prime Minister and the Queensland Premier, warning that, without action on a gas reservation policy, they would be remembered as presiding over the industrial destruction of the region. "We are paying up to $16.60 for a unit of gas in Mount Isa, while the Americans and Russians are paying $5 US. It's impossible to survive or compete under those conditions. Give us RRP and we go forward. Deny us, and there will be a collapse." Mr Katter said he had received no response from the Queensland Premier, despite personal representations by state MP Robbie Katter, but acknowledged that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has taken direct action by including new gas from the Northern Territory, including the Beetaloo Basin, in the policy.

Katter demands increased defence spending in the north: “We’re unlikely to be fighting penguins in Antarctica… the threat is in the north”

By Rachelle Ambrum • June 24, 2025
As recently as late last week, Mr Katter held discussions with the Deputy Prime Minister, making representations for the new amphibious army fleet to be ported at Cairns and for final funding to be provided for the ship lift so that maintenance can be undertaken on Australia's naval vessels. "Unless we are going to be battling the penguins of Antarctica, maybe we should cast our eyes north to where the threat is more likely," Mr Katter said. "To go to war now is not only inconceivable but a catastrophic failure of defence planning that echoes the same fatal mistakes made in World War II. "In the Second World War, our three armies were sitting in the Libyan Desert while the Japanese prepared to invade. Whether it was dereliction of duty or outright stupidity, it was the most damning judgement on a government in this country's history," Mr Katter said. "They knew we were about to be invaded, and they sent two forward scout groups to meet the threat — 3,000 young men and the 49th Battalion. Half of them had never fired a rifle in their life. Our Air Force was so under-equipped it was a joke; the Wirraway had machine guns on the wings and no chance of taking on Japanese Zeros." Mr Katter compared the current state of Australia's Defence Force to those dark days, saying the government's claims of readiness are farcical in the face of the growing international military capability.

Katter furious: No justice for graziers devastated by 2011 ban

By Rachelle Ambrum • June 18, 2025
Katter accused the Court of "turning their backs on those who bore the brunt of a government blunder" by underestimating the impact of the ban on long-term export numbers and industry viability. Mr Katter said the Court's minimisation of the industry's losses is an insult to the thousands of families who suffered financial and emotional devastation and warned the ongoing delays in compensation will only compound the damage. "At nearly 300 million people, Indonesia is one of the biggest countries on earth. There's a massive market for our beef. They need beef but they can't afford it if it's processed in Australia. We can grow it to one year old very inexpensively," Katter explained. "If they grow the beast out and then process it there, it becomes very competitively priced." Katter warned that Australia's cattle and sheep herds are plummeting, with live exports being one of the few remaining options for sustaining the northern economy. "We need to quadruple our beef herd in Australia. And just the opposite is happening, it's the most extraordinary phenomenon. The cattle numbers have gone from 32 million in the late '70s down to 24 million and that's where they've stayed," he said. Katter took aim at the ALP's economic legacy, particularly its handling of Australia's once-thriving wool industry. "The Labor Party has earned their place in the history books. The biggest export earner for Australia for 200 years was wool. In 1990, it was Australia's largest export item at $6 billion per year. But Keating's obsession with free market economics completely demolished the wool industry. And what was left was destroyed by Labour's ban on live exports. "So congratulations Mr ALP, you destroyed the biggest wealth earner for this nation." Mr Katter said the Court must now ensure justice is delivered when it determines how much compensation is due to those who suffered under the 2011 ban. ENDS

Katter to Woolies: “Not Sundays, not in Gordonvale”

By Rachelle Ambrum • June 13, 2025
"I plead with every Australian to understand this. I know it's easy to go to the bigger store, and when you think "food", you think "Woolworths and Coles". But it's because you've been brainwashed; you see it on your TV over and over again: morning, noon and night. "But, it's not just one more trading day. It's the beginning of the end for the independent shops that hold our communities together," Katter pleaded. "We will tenaciously oppose and take down the names of anyone that pushes 7-day trade at Gordonvale Woolworths. "Look, I understand. I'm a person who can hardly ever get to the shops 9 to 5 during the week. I come from the Mount Isa and Cloncurry area; I've been a miner working continuous shifts, and I'd deeply appreciate a service like that. "But do I want to live in a society with only one person I can sell food to and buy food from? Well, I hate to break it to you, but that's what we're living in right now." Mr Katter said the duopoly of Coles and Woolworths is rapidly turning Australia into a corporate monopoly state, with suburbs like Gordonvale the latest target. "Let's be clear: this is not about community choice or convenience. It's about wiping out the last little guys still standing. The butcher, the bakery, the fruit stall on the side of the road – all gone, so we can hand more power to the supermarket duopoly. "These supermarket giants can do whatever they like; they can force their staff to work incredible hours, not to mention they own the major political parties. "But they may not have noticed, but the major parties can't even get 33 percent of the vote; people just won't vote for them anymore. "I will personally fight tooth and nail, snake and goanna. It won't be the Marquess of Queensberry Rules here, and if I fail, well, I'll go down fighting. At least I can know that. "Please, we are Australians, and this is un-Australian. This has got to be fought with fire." ENDS

Katter slams ACT's Reconciliation Day: "They're dying at 49 while Canberra takes a day off"

By Rachelle Ambrum • June 11, 2025
At a press conference in Townsville, Mr Katter announced his discovery of declining life expectancy figures in remote First Australian communities such as Doomadgee in North West Queensland . "I have encountered sickening hypocrisy in my life, and I have kept these figures to myself because I don't want my country to be likened to South Africa, but I can't stay silent any longer. "I am divulging now with great rage that the life expectancy for real fair dinkum blackfellas living on their community has slipped from 54 down to 49 [ 1 ] . For the rest of us, it's about 82. "Every person in Australia should be sickened by this. Sick and tired and fed up. "There's not one single person in Canberra doing anything about it, and they have the absolute hypocrisy of giving themselves a holiday to commemorate our First Australians. "The only place where they voted Yes was Canberra and the place responsible for this sickeningly low life expectancy is Canberra."

Katters declare emergency for Isa and Townsville

By Rachelle Ambrum • May 28, 2025
Crisis talks, led by Katter's Australian Party Leader Robbie Katter, Mount Isa Mayor Peta MacRae, with key stakeholders, recognise that the future of the entire region is at risk if Mount Isa is lost as the administrative hub of the North West Critical Minerals Province. "We need to implement 'use it or lose it' policy – meaning Glencore must be forced to sell if they won't operate," Mr Katter explained. "The smelter must stay open and we need to make CopperString happen now. All of these things are linked; they all play a significant role in ensuring Queensland's economic stability and Australia's national sovereignty." Mr Katter said the nation's future was at risk if governments continued to cave to foreign-owned corporations. "There is $680 billion worth of copper in the North West Minerals Province – just sitting there. To put that in context, the 2024-25 projected federal revenue is $711.5 billion. "And the audacity of Glencore to ask for $2 billion – this is not a handout to a foreign corporation – it absolutely cannot be. If Glencore wants government money, then at the very least, there must be a ceding of 50% control – or they get nothing. "Let them close the mine if they want – then the government must, by law, impose rehabilitation and remediation. I've got mates who close mines and get hit with huge bills. But when it comes to big foreign corporations, it seems in Queensland, there's one set of rules for us and another for them. "We will assert our sovereignty, and I'll tell you now – we'll be taking names of those who don't back us on this. Because if you're not fighting for Australia's ownership of its resources, you're not Australian. "We've got to start having some tough conversations in Brisbane and Canberra, and that's really got to happen in the next four to six weeks, or we're going to be in deep trouble. "I want to congratulate Mayor Peta MacRae, the Mount Isa City Council, and Robbie Katter – they're doing everything they can. But we need the rest of the country to wake up." Bob and Robbie Katter are hosting a public 'Future of Mount Isa' meeting on Friday, June 6, at 6.30pm at the Barkly Hotel in Mount Isa. For more information or to register, please call 07 4743 3534 or email Bob.Katter@aph.gov.au. ENDS

“Australians must own the Port of Darwin” - Katter

By Rachelle Ambrum • May 28, 2025
"The Port of Darwin must be owned by the Australian people," Mr Katter said. "With an emerging diplomatic rough between China and the US over ownership, it is most extraordinary that the Australian Government appears unwilling, or unable, to see the value and strategic importance of such critical infrastructure. "Why are we not fighting tooth and nail to ensure our most strategic port is not controlled by a foreign corporation? Even if it is our friends, the Americans. "This megalomaniac obsession with globalism and free-marketism has crippled our nation. Until recently, key assets like the Darwin Port were owned by the Australian Government – as they were for all of our history. 

Katter calls on young riders to saddle up

By Rachelle Ambrum • May 23, 2025
"Since the dawn of time, man has been riding horses, and he will continue to do so until the end of time," Mr Katter said. "Our history, not just in Australia but across the world, has been shaped on horseback. You can't understand world history without understanding the role that horses played on the Silk Road – from China to Europe, those horses were the beating heart of civilisation. "Working with horses gives you courage, discipline, and pride – all the things our country desperately needs more of," he said. "Horse riding is the most enjoyable pastime – and it keeps you fit and grounded in the real world, not glued to a screen. "I've never been real keen on trekking. I've done about six or seven hundred kilometres in the army and another eight or nine hundred kilometres along the road to St Francis station in my prospecting days. I've been extremely keen on horses ever since." Kisten Bodkin, President of the Gordonvale Pony Club, said pony clubs are for anyone, even those like Mr Katter whose riding careers have been less than glorious. "Horse riding builds more than just riding skills. We've always said that 'pony club is fun', and that's kind of our motto. Even when you're having a rough time, pony club is fun, and it's truly for everyone. "Working with horses teaches personal responsibility and discipline, and gives a goal for young people to aim for, and we love seeing them excel at their passion. "Even though it's an individual sport, you learn how to socialise with people of all ages and you make lifelong friends. "We've seen ourselves and our children grow up, and while school friendships often drift apart, the pony club friendships just seem to stand the test of time." Zoe Macor, Secretary of the Gordonvale Pony Club, said the club has become a multi-generational legacy in her family. "My kids have grown up in the club and are now instructors here, and my grandchildren are coming up the ranks as well. "It's wonderful seeing our children travel to state and national events. The kids see their instructors riding and competing, and have something to strive for. "With three generations of our family involved in the club, well there's nothing quite like it." Mr Katter encouraged locals to saddle up for a night of entertainment at the Gordonvale Round of the 2025 Great Northern Bullriding Series this Saturday, May 24th, from 7pm. The event will raise funds for grounds and facilities upgrades, ensuring up-and-coming riders have a place to grow their skills for years to come. ENDS

Katter declares KAP the only true Opposition as LNP fractures

By Rachelle Ambrum • May 20, 2025
"Yesterday we had one party, the LNP, with no direction. Today we have two parties with no direction," stated Mr Katter. "Australia is in desperate need of an Opposition that can hold the ALP Government to account. Instead what we are receiving is an Opposition in complete disarray." "True to form, neither the Liberals or the Nationals can agree to a position on net zero, nuclear, coal or renewables. Instead they are both blindly going down the path of higher energy prices and severe energy shortages. They have no alternative, no criticism, no set direction." "The Liberals and Nationals have destroyed almost every rural industry that has supported them. They deregulated or opened to the "free" market; sugar, tobacco, maize, peanuts, flowers, grapes, avocados, citrus and many other primary industries." "The newly elected Liberals leader, Sussan Ley, led the charge to ban live-sheep export – overnight destroying the livelihoods of many hard working rural families. Littleproud has got very little to be proud of for not even fighting this in the slightest but rather standing behind wiping the tears from his eyes." "Don't be fooled – cattle will be next. They are no friend to the farmer." "For many years the policy lines between the ALP, LNP, Liberals and Nationals have been blurred, marred by political infighting rather than genuine and meaty debates on the direction that our once great nation is taking." "One thing is true now more than ever, Katter's Australian Party is the true Opposition." ENDS
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