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Permalink Reply by Greg Blackmore on June 12, 2011 at 7:08am

Link below to Bob's website below. Bob has a unique way of saying things sometimes but a lot of what he says is factual, unlike a lot of our other party hacks.

There is a comment by Noel Pearson on this site in favour of his views on indigenous issues.

Of course the other parties and main stream media will seek to deride and ridicule Bob and his new party with their only objective being re-election to power and possibly not the best interests of Australia.

If it splits the vote - so what, we are still using the preference system.

At the last election, at least Bob stood by the views of his constituents, unlike the two other independents of whom one was focused on getting his second term and therefore his superannuation and thought he had a better chance under Labor.

 

Bob Katter's Australian Party Website

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Permalink Reply by Dale Stiller on June 12, 2011 at 7:39am

Noel Pearson recently in The Australian gave an endorsement to Bob Katter or a least his record as the Minister for aboriginal Affairs.

Hats off to Katters grand plan [click here]

 

BOB Katter Jr is the greatest federal minister for Aboriginal affairs Australia never had. Had he not fallen out with the Nationals and had the Liberals better understood him, Aboriginal policy in the Howard years before Mal Brough might not have been such a wasteland if Katter had been given the brief.

Yes, I speak with a strong northern bias because south of the Tropic of Capricorn Katter is lost in translation. Katter fronting our indigenous brothers and sisters in the cities of the south with his big white stetson might have had its moments, nevertheless he understood what is needed in this policy zone better than anybody else in the parliament.

 

I first became aware of Katter in my youth when he was appointed minister by then Queensland premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen.

 

There were three limbs to his approach. First, he pushed self-management of Aboriginal communities by elected councils. Second, he introduced laws granting inalienable freehold title to the Aboriginal reserves, to be held in trust by the councils. Third, he introduced laws to enable private ownership of lands by families through perpetual leases for home ownership, and term leases for enterprise development. Then he set about putting his program into action. He insisted Aboriginal people take up all jobs they could perform, from administration to roads and housing construction.

This larrikin and loquacious minister introduced a new optimism and energy into what was long a depressed scene.

He urged every community to develop teams of tradesmen and labourers to build their own housing, and to use local resources to the maximum extent possible. Instead of external contractors, local building teams did the job.

Some councils found with local labour and materials they could build three houses for the cost of two. Katter said: "Do it!"

 

There is a lot more to this article there the small part copied here.

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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 Greg Blackmore on June 12, 2011 at 5:23pm

Link to Bob Katter's Australian party on Facebook

 

Katters Australia Party on Facebook

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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 Greg Blackmore on June 13, 2011 at 9:31am

Hi Yodie,

Some previous comments on Bob Katter here on Just Grounds. Bob is also a member though has not been active.

http://justgroundsonline.com/profile/BobKatter?xg_source=profiles_m...

Cheers Greg 

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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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