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General News

13 March, 2021

Katter to leverage his power.

KENNEDY MP, Bob Katter says he now has the balance of power in Federal Parliament after controversial MP and member for Hughes Craig Kelly resigned from the Liberal party and moved to the crossbench.

By Phil Brandel

Bob Katter at the Barron River bridge in Kuranda is advocating a new highway between Mareeba and Cairns.
Bob Katter at the Barron River bridge in Kuranda is advocating a new highway between Mareeba and Cairns.

KENNEDY MP, Bob Katter says he now has the balance of power in Federal Parliament after controversial MP and member for Hughes Craig Kelly resigned from the Liberal party and moved to the crossbench.

Mr Katter said his vote will now be critical for the Morrison Government to maintain a working majority and that his two priorities when negotiating with the Federal Government are to build infrastructure that will populate inland Australia and to reduce the soaring cost of living that is affecting all Australians.

Mr Katter said he has a long wish list of projects that he will be putting pressure on the government to start or complete including:  The proposed Copperstring 2.0 transmission line (that will connect the North West Minerals Province to the National Electricity Market), as well as continued support for the irrigation projects at Hughenden, Big Rocks Weir and the Hells Gates Dam (Revised Bradfield Scheme).

 In the Far North Queensland region, Mr Katter is pushing for funding for the North Johnstone Transfer water scheme and a new highway from Mareeba to Cairns, that he said will unlock the economic potential of the region.

 “I have made it clear to Government Ministers that if we do not populate inland Australia it will be taken off us,” Mr Katter said.

 “Our North Queensland based Party, the KAP, has been consistently advocating for these projects that will turn things around for the future of this country. 90 per cent of the Australian continent is occupied by less than one million people.

 “If you build an irrigation scheme at Hughenden the population will grow from 1,000 people to 10,000 people. The industry that will flow from Copperstring and Hells Gates Dam will see North Queensland’s population increase to more than one million people.”

 Mr Katter said he was sick of seeing economic rationalism rather than economic nationalism as the preferred policy setting of Australian governments.

 “We need direct government investment into infrastructure, rather than more broad ranged funds that haven’t been delivering.”

Mr Katter and fellow KAP member Shane Knuth now have a petition available to sign in their offices in support of getting a new road built joining Cairns and the Tablelands.

 


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