In this episode, we talk to Mr Bob Katter MP, Federal Member for Kennedy, about engaging the Australian voters in the political discourse.
Topics covered include:
- The establishment of the Katter Australia Party
- What made Queensland a leading Australian state in the 80s and 90s
- The issues with how we are treating First Nations People in Australia
- Gun laws in Australia
- The impact of deregulation of industries
- Foreign ownership and what it means for Australia
- A brief history of mining in Australia and how it excludes young Australians
- The accomplishments of Mr Katter and his team for the people of Kennedy
- The priorities for First Nations people in Australia
- The importance of market gardens in Australia’s far north
- Indigenous land rights
- How young Australians can draw inspiration from our military history
About Mr Katter:
Bob Katter has been the Federal Member for Kennedy since 1993, following a highly successful career in State politics where he held four Ministerial positions. He follows in his father's footsteps as the Member for Kennedy, with Hon. R.C. Katter Sr. holding the seat for 24 years.
Originally a National Party member for most of his Parliamentary career, due to his disenchantment with economic rationality that he felt the National Party was adopting, he chose to stand as an Independent Member in the 2001 Federal election ... he won in a landslide!
The vast majority of constituents know why Bob left the Coalition government, simply because the Federal Government seems unwilling to accept that policies of National Competition Policy and economic rationalism have had a devastating impact on the electorate and other areas of Australia.
Bob is now free to vote in line with his conscience and the feelings and needs of the people of the electorate, without being restricted by party lines and politics.
The people of Kennedy have always been independent minded and acutely aware that policies which suit heavily populated centres do not necessarily work for those living in Northern and Western Queensland.
In his role as the Federal Member for Kennedy, Bob is a jack-of-all-trades and a representative for electorate industries and any issues involving his constituents. Bob Katter knows how to be controversial when the needs of his electorate demands it, and to bring local issue to the attention of the national media.
Bob's duties on the national stage include being a spokesperson for local interests, a lawmaker, a debater and an ombudsman.
The demands of being an elected representative of the public means each MP must decide their own priorities and Bob has an enormous task in doing the best possible job for Kennedy.
