‘Life and death’: Bob Katter’s key demand as federal election looms
Bob Katter has remained cryptic about what party he’s backing this election – but revealed the crucial issue he claims the current PM is failing to deliver on.
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North Queensland MP Bob Katter has blasted Anthony Albanese for not delivering on a key “life and death” matter in the region and shot down claims he is favouring any one political party in the upcoming federal election.
He told 7News on Sunday that a one kilometre tunnel out of Cairns was crucial to help residents escape disaster if roads are cut during flooding.
Mr Katter has previously endorsed the Cairns and Tablelands ‘Bridle Track Tunnel’ as a long-term solution to the state of the highway.
“In North Queensland, it’s a matter of life and death that tunnel,” he said. “I think that Peter (Dutton) would agree to those things that I want to happen … Anthony (Albanese) hasn’t been able to deliver and that’s something you’d take into consideration but anyone who thinks I’m coming down on one side or another you’ve got that badly wrong.”
Mr Katter’s demand comes after thousands of Queenslanders were trapped, and two died, during intense flooding in February.
Other roadworks proposed by the politician include the widening and raising of the inland highway from The Lynd to Charters Towers, sealing and upgrading the inland highway from The Lynd to Hughenden and raising the Gairloch and Seymour River crossings on the Bruce, the Townsville Bulletin reports.
Mr Katter, who is known for his no-holds-barred style of politics, has a subsequent demand for North Queensland to be named its own state.
It’s a proposal strengthened by the support of his son Robbie.
“We’ve got this archaic system where it’s a one size fits all policy set from 2000 kilometres away in Brisbane and people have no affinity with this sort of country at all,” Robbie told 7News.
Mr Katter has long maintained that the politicians in Canberra are solely focused on Queensland’s capital, and not the state’s regional constituents.
“The party demands that they tow the party line which of course is a ‘wokey’ Brisbane Line,” he said in parliament last week.
“The Brisbane mentality is alive and well.”
The lobbying comes as the LNP and Labor eye Mr Katter’s seat of Kennedy, which he has held since 1993.
Both major parties could have difficulty forming a majority government in the upcoming election, making votes from crossbenchers like Mr Katter more important than ever.
“I venture to suggest that the vote for the crossbenchers will get higher this election,” he said on Sunday.
The politician commemorated a half-century in politics in December, a feat that is being honoured with a portrait in Parliament House and a statue in his town of residence, Charters Towers.
Originally published as ‘Life and death’: Bob Katter’s key demand as federal election looms
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