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Katter's Australian Party - is there merit?

Recent events with the announcement and launch of MP Bob Katter's new political party has generated mixed views and feelings in the north.

Just recently an Indigenous senior community member living in Cairns asked my views and opinions on Mr Katter's new party, as he was not sure whether Mr Katter is or would be supportive of Indigenous issues. eg. hunting. In all honesty I was not too sure how Katter's party will go.

An example of new party's in QLD - the extreme changes we have witnessed with the creation of the Queensland Party who are yet to convince the North they are different from the LNP.

Issues raised by many Just Ground members from climate change to asset sales are real issues still awaiting a saviour. Is Mr Katter's new Australian Party the answer? - I don't know. Like anything new there will be a level of sceptism. How pragmatic it will be - time will tell.

The one thing I do know is that real issues affecting our communities are still not being addressed appropriately by our current government both state and federally eg. social justice, law and order, violence against women, businesses struggling and closing down because they are unable to pay rent etc etc etc.....

How will Katter's party address these issues and how pragmatic his policies will be is yet to be revealed

Tags: Australian, and, assets, change, climate, justice, law, order, party, sales, More…social

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Permalink Reply by Yodie Batzke on June 12, 2011 at 11:17am

Thank you Greg and Dale for your openness and honesty. Greg I have gone through Bob's website and yes he has done many things and definately lives up to his reputation of not being backward in coming forward. I do believe the next QLD state election is going to have some interesting results. In Cairns one of the major parties has already began their qasi campaign with billboards on the back of trailers parked on the side of the road with LNP logos, and vehicles seen on a regular basis parked around town with pictures of their candidates on sides of vehicles.

When it comes to governance, unfortunately Dale all of Bob's hard work re: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island community councils under the QLD Community Services Act has been done away with by the former Beatie Government.

What has this done, we no longer have community councils, we have regional councils formed under the QLD Local Government Association Act, we have Aborignal or Island 'Managers' now managing the affairs of the community where once upon a time we had Community Council Chairpersons and councillors. The title and responsibility of the former Chairperson's roles have been turned in 'Councillor' and no councillors as such. To add to this confusing state of affairs, Indigenous Regional Councils (comprising of a mayor and councillors) have to govern their affairs under the 2 Acts - Community Services and Local Government.

Yes I fully agree it is time to change the status quo of having a government both state and federal continually demonstrating 'legislative prerogratives' for every political decision they make. If Bob's party make a difference at a state level and put some common sense back into the process then so be it, he is on a winner. Maybe Bob's party will be that catalyst for change.

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Permalink Reply by Yodie Batzke on June 12, 2011 at 11:26am

Dale traditional owners in the cape are entitled to form a land trust to hold land intrust for the use of all aboriginal people, however for the torres straits, The Torres Strait Island Regional Council, are not the trustees of DOGIT land. (Deed of Grant in Trust Land).

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Permalink Reply by Peter Jesser on June 13, 2011 at 9:14am

Bob Katter is an intelligant man who thinks things through. More parties = more debate = more democracy.

The Australian Party will make a valuable contribution.

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Permalink Reply by Rob Moore on June 13, 2011 at 8:50pm

Yes I think there is merit in Bob and his party.

He has stood by his principles and backed the conservatives. The Coalition presently can't strike a blow so it is a bit tough to blame Bob for not performing miracles.

Look out when that EDO lawyer -Green gets in the senate in QLD next month- we are going to need an Australia Party then! They want to shut Australia down but will be the first to whinge when their food and power trebles in price.

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Permalink Reply by Yodie Batzke on June 13, 2011 at 11:12pm

Thank you Rob, Greg and Peter for your comments. If there is a policy I would Bob's party to consider at a state level here in qld is the reintroduction of the senate.

I have raised this topic in the past, why? we have a qld government making decisions without any form of accountability. Love or hate the senate, there is merit in a west minister process that consists of both the upper and lower house.

I do hope Katter's Australian Party takes a close look at this issue and forms a policy position on the reinstitution of the Senate in Qld Government.

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Permalink Reply by Matt Thompson on June 13, 2011 at 11:13pm

We should remember that despite all the noise, Bob Katter is the only politician to put forward a bill protecting private property rights in the Australian Parliament.

He even took the time to post about it here on Just Grounds (Ag Mates at the time).

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Permalink Reply by Ilana Yael Leeds on June 13, 2011 at 11:45pm

B'H

Bob Katter is one of the saner people in Parliament and he actually thinks things through and is able to articulate extremely competently. He may be quite confrontational but people like him are needed in politics. He keeps the rest half way honest to throw out a cliche.

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Permalink Reply by Yodie Batzke on June 14, 2011 at 1:15am

Ilana that is why the 2 major parties cannot dismiss or simply refer to this as one Bob's many publicity stunts without publicly expressing some form of fear or trepidation.

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Permalink Reply by Rob Moore on June 14, 2011 at 7:50am

A vote for Bob or his candidates is a pretty safe bet because if the coalition is next preference- it simply gives a chance of getting a bit of spine into the conservative side!

If they don't make it - then no harm done.

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Permalink Reply by Peter Jesser on June 14, 2011 at 10:07am

Agreed - we need an upper house in Queensland. An upper house that is a true house of review is a powerful thing - just look at the U.S. Senate. Our own Senate doesn't quite get there because of our much more restrictive party system.

I wonder what Campbell Newman's position is on an upper house?

Yodie Batzke said:

Thank you Rob, Greg and Peter for your comments. If there is a policy I would Bob's party to consider at a state level here in qld is the reintroduction of the senate.

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Permalink Reply by Ruth Bonnett on June 14, 2011 at 10:20am

Katter on Newman's rise to the leadership: they were told....

The Queensland Party support an Upper House, which will right the imbalance between SEQ and the Rural and Regional areas of Queensland.

http://justgroundsonline.com/group/BrisbaneCentral/forum/topics/the...

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Permalink Reply by Matt Thompson on June 14, 2011 at 2:16pm

Go get them Bob!!!!!!

click here

It's high time someone started holding these unethical antihuman people at the Greens Party and RSPCA to account for their destructive ideas and policies that destroy people's lives.