No KAP candidate for Callide

Katter’s Australian Party will not run a candidate in the seat of Callide at the forthcoming Queensland Election but will target rural electorates that were betrayed by their LNP and Labor representatives this week, KAP Leader Robbie Katter announced on Thursday. 

Mr Katter said all rural major party MPs, except Member for Callide Colin Boyce who crossed the floor, had let down their electorates and farmers across Queensland by voting to legislate for a government-appointed rehabilitation commissioner. 

“The new laws, which primarily instate a mining rehabilitation commissioner but also detail new requirements growers in the Great Barrier Reef catchment, will make cropping and horticulture projects in the Great Barrier Reef catchment subject to the commissioner’s approval. 

Mr Katter said the KAP was deeply concerned farmers trying to develop their businesses would be caught up in the new law and subject to “ideological politics”. 

“We are particularly worried about the stipulation that the commissioner would not be required to have any particular academic qualifications and could be appointed on a political or ideological basis by the government of the day,” he said. 

“The consequences of this could be dire and could hold up development for years.” 

You can read why Mr Boyce crossed the floor in this week’s edition of The Callide Dawson Leader.